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  6. Mykhaylo V. Ruchko, Ph.D.

Mykhaylo V. Ruchko, Ph.D.

Mykhaylo V. Ruchko, Ph.D. Assistant Professor
USA Department of Pharmacology

Ph.D.: Institute of Biochemistry, Ukrainian Academy of Sciences, Kyiv, Ukraine
Post-doctoral: University of South Alabama

Phone: (251) 461-1709
mruchko@southalabama.edu  

Research Interests

Free radicals generated by different exogenous and endogenous sources occupy an amazingly central role in a wide variety of biological processes. Reactive oxygen species (ROS) are known to play a dual role in biological systems, since they can be either harmful or beneficial to living organisms. Oxygen-mediated damage to cell structures, including lipids and membranes, proteins and nucleic acids, is well recognized, but a growing amount of evidence shows that ROS also act as second messengers in intracellular signaling cascades. My research interest concentrates on both - damaging and signaling - sides of free radical's action in cells. Current topics include:

  • Oxidative stress and its influence on genome stability.
  • Mitochondrial DNA as a sentinel molecule, severity and persistence of damage to which determines the cell viability.
  • Oxidative mitochondrial DNA damage and its role in initiation of endothelial cell apoptosis caused by oxidative stress.
  • Role of controlled ROS-mediated oxidative DNA damage and repair in normal transcriptional regulation.
  • Effective biomarkers of oxidative stress.

Representative Publications

  1. Ruchko M.V., Gorodnya O.M., Pastukh V.M., Swiger B.M., Middleton N.S., Wilson G.L., Gillespie M.N. (2009) Hypoxia-induced oxidative base modifications in the VEGF hypoxic response element are associated with transcriptionally active nucleosomes. Free Radic. Biol. Med. 46(3): 352-359.
  2. Pastukh V., Ruchko M., Gorodnya O., Wilson G.L., Gillespie M.N. (2007) Sequence-specific oxidative base modifications in hypoxia-inducible genes. Free Radic. Biol. Med. 43 (12): 1616-1626.
  3. Ruchko M., Gorodnya O., LeDoux S.P., Alexeyev M.F., Al-Mehdi A.-B., Gillespie M.N. (2005) Mitochondrial DNA damage triggers mitochondrial dysfunction and apoptosis in oxidant-challenged lung endothelial cells. Am. J. Physiol. Lung Cell Mol. Physiol. 288 (3): L530-L535.
  4. Ruchko M., Gillespie M.N., Weeks R.S., Olson J.W., Babal P.  (2003) Putrescine transport in hypoxic rat main PASMCs is required for p38 MAP kinase activation. Am. J. Physiol. Lung Cell Mol. Physiol. 284: L179-L186.
  5. Babal P., Ruchko M., Ault-Ziel K., Cronenberg L., Olson J.W., Gillespie M.N. (2002) Regulation of ornithine decarboxylase and polyamine import by hypoxia in pulmonary artery endothelial cells. Am. J. Physiol. Lung Cell Mol. Physiol. 282: L840-L846.
  6. Babal P., Ruchko M., Campbell C., Gilmour S., Mitchell J., Olson J., Gillespie M. (2001) Regulation of ornithine decarboxylase activity and polyamine transport by agmatine in rat pulmonary artery endothelial cells. J. Pharmacol. Exp. Ther. 296: 372-377.
  7. Babal P., Ruchko M., Olson J.W., Gillespie M.N. (2000) Interactions between agmatine and polyamine uptake pathways in rat pulmonary artery endothelial cells. Gen. Pharmacol. 34 (4): 255-261.
  8. Gorodnya O.M., Ruchko M.V., Sorochinsky B.V. (1999) Expression of metallothionein genes in tissues of Pisum sativum under irradiation. Visnyk Kyiv. Univer. Biologiia (Bulletin of Kiev University. Biology) 29: 24-25. In Ukrainian; English summary.
  9. Dushenkov S., Mikheev A., Prokhnevsky A., Ruchko M. and Sorochinsky B. (1999) Phytoremediation of radiocesium-contaminated soil in the vicinity of Chernobyl, Ukraine. Environ. Sci. Technol. 33: 469-475.
  10. Ruchko M.V., Gorodnya O.M., Sorochinsky B.V. (1998) Plant metallothioneins. Ukr. Biokhim. Zh. (Ukrainian Biochemical J.) 70 (6): 24-34. In Russian; English summary.
  11. Sorochinsky B.V., Dushenkov S., Mikheev A.N., Ruchko M.V., Prokhnevsky A.I. (1998) Decontamination of small ponds in Chernobyl exclusion zone by rhizofiltration. In: "Problems of Chernobyl exclusion zone" Issue 5. Kiev, Ukraine: 97-102. In Russian.
  12. Sorochinsky B.V., Prokhnevsky A.I., Ruchko M.V. (1996) The molecular mechanisms of the somatic effects of irradiation on plants from the 10-km zone of Chernobyl Nuclear Power Plant. Tsitol. Genet. (Cytology and Genetics) 30 (4): 15-19. In Ukrainian; English summary.
  13. Ruchko M.V., Ostapchenko L.I., Nalevina O.E., Kucherenko N.E. (1994) The effect of various doses of ionizing radiation on the functional activity and mechanisms of the activation of spleen and thymus lymphoid cells under the influence of stimulating signal. Radiats. Biol. Radioecol. (Radiation Biology. Radioecology) 34 (2): 247-250. In Russian; English summary.
  14. Kucherenko N.E., Matyshevska O.P., Ostapchenko L.I., Parkhomets T.I., Ruchko M.V., Slatvinskaia O.A. (1991) The content of cyclic nucleotides,  free cytoplasmic Ca2+ and malonic dialdehyde in the splenic lymphocytes and thymocytes of rats under the action of moderate doses of radiation. Radiobiologiia (Radiobiology) 31 (5): 739-742. In Russian; English summary.
  15. Parkhomets T.I., Slatvinskaia E.A., Ruchko M.V., Kucherenko N.E. (1991) Lipid peroxidation of rat spleen and thymus lymphocytes exposed to X-rays. Ukr. Biokhim. Zh. (Ukrainian Biochemical J.) 63 (4): 107-110. In Russian; English summary.
  16. Ruchko M.V., Slatvinskaia E.A., Matyshevska O.P., Kucherenko N.E. (1990) Increase in free Ca2+ level determined by quin-2 in spleen lymphocytes from irradiated rats. Ukr. Biokhim. Zh. (Ukrainian Biochemical J.) 62 (4): 110-113. In Russian; English summary.