Education & Training
- Ph.D. in Biochemistry, Cell, and Molecular Biology from Johns Hopkins School of Medicine, Baltimore, M , 1990
- B.S. in Molecular Biophysics & Biochem from Yale University, New Haven, CT, 1984
- B.S. in History from Yale University, New Haven, CT, 1984
Research Interest Summary
Research Categories
Research Interests
The Weisz lab uses imaging, biochemical, genomic, and modeling approaches in highly differentiated cell cultures and in animal models to study the regulation of membrane traffic in the kidney proximal tubule (PT). Cells in this nephron segment have a highly developed apical endocytic pathway that functions to recover proteins, vitamins, and other filtered molecules from tubule lumen, in addition to regulating ion transport. Defects in the function of this pathway cause tubular proteinuria that can lead to end stage kidney disease. Current projects in the lab are focused on identifying how apical endocytosis is regulated in these uniquely specialized cells, understanding the crosstalk between endocytosis, cellular metabolism, and transcription in normal and disease states, creating an integrated model for protein recovery along the entire tubule, and determining the mechanisms by which polymorphisms in critical PT proteins result in genetic proteinuric disease. We welcome diverse and creative individuals who can think outside the box and enjoy working in a collaborative interdisciplinary environment.
Representative Publications
Gliozzi ML, Espiritu E, Shipman KE, Rbaibi Y, Long KR, Roy N, Duncan AW, Lazzara MJ, Hukriede NA, Baty CJ, and Weisz OA (2020) Effects of proximal tubule shortening on protein excretion in a Lowe Syndrome model. J Am Soc Nephrol. 31:67-83. doi: 10.1681/ASN.2019020125.
Long KR, Rbaibi Y, Gliozzi ML, and Weisz OA (2020) Differential kidney proximal tubule cell responses to protein overload by albumin and its ligands. Am J Physiol- Renal Physiol. 318:F851–F859. doi:10.1152/ajprenal.00490.2019.
Ren Q, Weyer K, Rbaibi Y, Long KR, Tan RJ, Nielsen R, Christensen EI, Baty CJ, Kashlan OB, and Weisz OA (2020) Distinct functions of megalin and cubilin receptors in recovery of normal and nephrotic levels of filtered albumin. Am J Physiol- Renal Physiol. 318:F1284-1294. doi: 10.1152/ajprenal.00030.2020.
Park HJ, Fan Z, Bai Y, Ren Q, Rbaibi Y, Long KR, Gliozzi ML, Rittenhouse N, Locker JD, Poholek AC, and Weisz OA (2020) Transcriptional programs driving shear stress-induced differentiation of kidney proximal tubule cells in culture. Frontiers in Physiol. 11:587358. doi: 10.3389/fphys.2020.587358.
Long KR, Rbaibi Y, Bondi CD, Forbes BR, Poholek, AC, Boyd-Shiwarski C, Tan RJ, Locker JR, and Weisz OA (2022) Cubilin-, Megalin- and Dab2-dependent transcription revealed by CRISPR/Cas9 knockout in kidney proximal tubule cells. Am J Physiol- Renal Physiol. 322:F14-26. doi: 10.1152/ajprenal.00259.2021.
Edwards A, Long KR, Baty CJ, Shipman KE, and Weisz OA. (2022) Modelling normal and nephrotic axial uptake of albumin and other filtered proteins along the proximal tubule. J Physiol. 600.8; 1933-1952. doi.org/10.1113/JP282885.
Rinschen MM, Palygin O, El-Meanawy A, Domingo-Almenara X, Palmero A, Schafroth MA, Golosova D, Dissanayake LV, Guijas C, Jaegers J, Demir F, Gliozzi ML, Xue J, Hohne M, Benzing T, Kok BP, Saez E, Bleich M, Himmerkus N, Weisz OA, Cravatt BF, Krüger M, Benton HP, Siuzdak G, and Staruschenko A. (2022) Accelerated lysine metabolism conveys kidney protection in salt-sensitive hypertension. Nat Commun. 13:4099 doi.org/10.1038/s41467-022-31670-0.
Shipman KE, Long KR, Cowan IA, Rbaibi Y, Baty CJ, and Weisz OA (2022) An adaptable physiological model of endocytic megalin trafficking in OK cells and mouse kidney proximal tubule. Function. zqac046, https://doi.org/10.1093/function/zqac046.
Long KR, Rbaibi Y, Kashlan OB, Weisz OA (2023) Receptor-associated protein impairs ligand binding to megalin and megalin-dependent endocytic flux in proximal tubule cells. Am J Physiol Renal Physiol. 325(4):F457-F464. PMID: 37534387
Albalawy WN, Youm EB, Shipman KE, Trull KJ, Baty CJ, Long KR, Rbaibi Y, Wang XP, Fagunloye OG, White KA, Jurczak MJ, Kashlan OB, Weisz OA (2024) SGLT2-independent effects of canagliflozin on NHE3 and mitochondrial complex I activity inhibit proximal tubule fluid transport and albumin uptake. Am J Physiol Renal Physiol. 326(6):F1041-F1053. PMID: 38660713
Youm EB, Shipman KE, Albalawy WN, Vandevender AM, Sipula IJ, Rbaibi Y, Marciszyn AE, Lashway JA, Brown EE, Bondi CB, Boyd-Shiwarski CR, Tan RJ, Jurczak MJ, Weisz OA (2024) Megalin Knockout Reduces SGLT2 Expression and Sensitizes to Western Diet-induced Kidney Injury.Function (Oxf). 5(4):zqae026. PMID: 38984983
Pandya RD, Lackner EM, Xu CS, Zugates C, Burdyniuk M, Reyna-Neyra A, Pandya VD, Li WP, Pang S, Weisz OA, Caplan MJ (2025) Illuminating Mouse Renal Proximal Tubule Architecture through High-Resolution Volume EM and Machine Learning Analysis. J Am Soc Nephrol. PMID: 41051879
Nickerson AJ, Albalawy WN, Youm EB, Joseph NA, Szekely KG, Kleyman TR, Weisz OA, Kashlan OB (2025) Canagliflozin Inhibits Electrogenic Na+ Transport in Mouse Cortical Collecting Duct Cells. Function (Oxf). 6(5):zqaf039. PMID: 40828585
Hernández-Arciga U, Stamenkovic C, Yadav S, Nicoletti C, Albalawy WN, Al Hammood F, Gonzalez TF, Naikwadi MU, Graham A, Smarz C, Little GJ, Williams SG, McMahon B, Sipula IJ, Vandevender AM, Chuan B, Cooke D, Pinto AFM, Flores LC, Hartman HL, Diedrich JK, Brooke RT, Alder JK, Frahm KA, Pascal LE, Stolt E, Troensegaard H, Øvrebø B, Elshorbagy A, Molina E, Vinknes KJ, Tan RJ, Weisz OA, Bueno M, Eickelberg O, Steinhauser ML, Finkel T, Ables GP, Ikeno Y, Olsen T, Sacco A, Jurczak MJ, Sukoff Rizzo SJ, Parkhitko AA (2025) Dietary methionine restriction started late in life promotes healthy aging in a sex-specific manner. Sci Adv.11(16):eads1532. PMID: 40238871