Natik Piri, Ph.D.

0000-0002-0134-1996

piri@jsei.ucla.edu

Faculty Member

Professor in Residence
Department of Ophthalmology
Jules Stein Eye Institute
David Geffen School of Medicine
University of California, Los Angeles

UCLA Jules Stein Eye Institute
100 Stein Plaza, Room B146
Los Angeles, CA 90095

Research Interests

Dr. Piri’s research is aimed toward understanding the molecular mechanisms leading to retinal ganglion cells (RGC) death in glaucoma. It has been established that RGCs die by apoptosis in glaucoma, but the exact pathway from death stimulus to cell death is not understood. As an initial step in identifying potential factors responsible for RGC apoptosis, Dr. Piri’s laboratory is analyzing gene expression patterns that are altered in glaucomatous retinas using DNA microarrays and proteomic technologies, as well as conventional molecular biology, biochemistry and genetic methods. Another area of interest is the identification of new genes that are expressed exclusively or preferentially in RGCs. Currently, Dr. Piri is investigating the roles of several RGC-expressed novel genes in RGC differentiation and metabolism, and their possible involvement in glaucomatous or other optic neuropathies. Gene and protein expression studies may lead to a better understanding of the regulatory events involved in RGC apoptosis, and provide molecular targets for the development of new therapeutic agents with neuroprotective effects in order to prevent or delay the loss of ganglion cells in glaucoma.

Publications

Gu L, Kwong JMK, Caprioli J, Piri N. Visual Function and Survival of Injured Retinal Ganglion Cells in Aged Rbfox1 Knockout Animals.. Cells, 2022.
Gu L, Caprioli J, Piri N. Rbfox1 expression in amacrine cells is restricted to GABAergic and VGlut3 glycinergic cells.. Bioscience reports, 2022.
Gu L, Kwong JM, Caprioli J, Piri N. DNA and RNA oxidative damage in the retina is associated with ganglion cell mitochondria.. Scientific reports, 2022.
Gu L, Kwong JM, Caprioli J, Piri N. Loss of Rbfox1 Does Not Affect Survival of Retinal Ganglion Cells Injured by Optic Nerve Crush.. Frontiers in neuroscience, 2021.
Gu L, Kawaguchi R, Caprioli J, Piri N. The effect of Rbfox2 modulation on retinal transcriptome and visual function.. Scientific reports, 2020.
Gu L, Bok D, Yu F, Caprioli J, Piri N. Downregulation of splicing regulator RBFOX1 compromises visual depth perception.. PloS one, 2018.
Ye L, Gu L, Caprioli J, Piri N. RNA-binding protein Rbpms is represented in human retinas by isoforms A and C and its transcriptional regulation involves Sp1-binding site.. Molecular genetics and genomics : MGG, 2018.
Gu L, Kwong JMK, Yadegari D, Yu F, Caprioli J, Piri N. The effect of celastrol on the ocular hypertension-induced degeneration of retinal ganglion cells.. Neuroscience letters, 2018.
Piri N, Kwong JM, Gu L, Caprioli J. Heat shock proteins in the retina: Focus on HSP70 and alpha crystallins in ganglion cell survival.. Progress in retinal and eye research, 2016.
Kyung H, Kwong JM, Bekerman V, Gu L, Yadegari D, Caprioli J, Piri N. Celastrol supports survival of retinal ganglion cells injured by optic nerve crush.. Brain research, 2015.
Piri N, Kwong JM, Caprioli J. Crystallins in retinal ganglion cell survival and regeneration.. Molecular neurobiology, 2013.
Kwong JM, Vo N, Quan A, Nam M, Kyung H, Yu F, Piri N, Caprioli J. The dark phase intraocular pressure elevation and retinal ganglion cell degeneration in a rat model of experimental glaucoma.. Experimental eye research, 2013.
Munemasa Y, Chang CS, Kwong JM, Kyung H, Kitaoka Y, Caprioli J, Piri N. The neuronal EGF-related gene Nell2 interacts with Macf1 and supports survival of retinal ganglion cells after optic nerve injury.. PloS one, 2012.
Klionsky DJ, Abdalla FC, Abeliovich H, Abraham RT, Acevedo-Arozena A, Adeli K, Agholme L, Agnello M, Agostinis P, Aguirre-Ghiso JA, Ahn HJ, Ait-Mohamed O, Ait-Si-Ali S, Akematsu T, Akira S, Al-Younes HM, Al-Zeer MA, Albert ML, Albin RL, Alegre-Abarrategui J, Aleo MF, Alirezaei M, Almasan A, Almonte-Becerril M, Amano A, Amaravadi R, Amarnath S, Amer AO, Andrieu-Abadie N, Anantharam V, Ann DK, Anoopkumar-Dukie S, Aoki H, Apostolova N, Arancia G, Aris JP, Asanuma K, Asare NY, Ashida H, Askanas V, Askew DS, Auberger P, Baba M, Backues SK, Baehrecke EH, Bahr BA, Bai XY, Bailly Y, Baiocchi R, Baldini G, Balduini W, Ballabio A, Bamber BA, Bampton ET, Bánhegyi G, Bartholomew CR, Bassham DC, Bast RC, Batoko H, Bay BH, Beau I, Béchet DM, Begley TJ, Behl C, Behrends C, Bekri S, Bellaire B, Bendall LJ, Benetti L, Berliocchi L, Bernardi H, Bernassola F, Besteiro S, Bhatia-Kissova I, Bi X, Biard-Piechaczyk M, Blum JS, Boise LH, Bonaldo P, Boone DL, Bornhauser BC, Bortoluci KR, Bossis I, Bost F, Bourquin JP, Boya P, Boyer-Guittaut M, Bozhkov PV, Brady NR, Brancolini C, Brech A, Brenman JE, Brennand A, Bresnick EH, Brest P, Bridges D, Bristol ML, Brookes PS, Brown EJ, Brumell JH, Brunetti-Pierri N, Brunk UT, Bulman DE, Bultman SJ, Bultynck G, Burbulla LF, Bursch W, Butchar JP, Buzgariu W, Bydlowski SP, Cadwell K, Cahová M, Cai D, Cai J, Cai Q, Calabretta B, Calvo-Garrido J, Camougrand N, Campanella M, Campos-Salinas J, Candi E, Cao L, Caplan AB, Carding SR, Cardoso SM, Carew JS, Carlin CR, Carmignac V, Carneiro LA, Carra S, Caruso RA, Casari G, Casas C, Castino R, Cebollero E, Cecconi F, Celli J, Chaachouay H, Chae HJ, Chai CY, Chan DC, Chan EY, Chang RC, Che CM, Chen CC, Chen GC, Chen GQ, Chen M, Chen Q, Chen SS, Chen W, Chen X, Chen X, Chen X, Chen YG, Chen Y, Chen Y, Chen YJ, Chen Z, Cheng A, Cheng CH, Cheng Y, Cheong H, Cheong JH, Cherry S, Chess-Williams R, Cheung ZH, Chevet E, Chiang HL, Chiarelli R, Chiba T, Chin LS, Chiou SH, Chisari FV, Cho CH, Cho DH, Choi AM, Choi D, Choi KS, Choi ME, Chouaib S, Choubey D, Choubey V, Chu CT, Chuang TH, Chueh SH, Chun T, Chwae YJ, Chye ML, Ciarcia R, Ciriolo MR, Clague MJ, Clark RS, Clarke PG, Clarke R, Codogno P, Coller HA, Colombo MI, Comincini S, Condello M, Condorelli F, Cookson MR, Coombs GH, Coppens I, Corbalan R, Cossart P, Costelli P, Costes S, Coto-Montes A, Couve E, Coxon FP, Cregg JM, Crespo JL, Cronjé MJ, Cuervo AM, Cullen JJ, Czaja MJ, D'Amelio M, Darfeuille-Michaud A, Davids LM, Davies FE, De Felici M, de Groot JF, de Haan CA, De Martino L, De Milito A, De Tata V, Debnath J, Degterev A, Dehay B, Delbridge LM, Demarchi F, Deng YZ, Dengjel J, Dent P, Denton D, Deretic V, Desai SD, Devenish RJ, Di Gioacchino M, Di Paolo G, Di Pietro C, Díaz-Araya G, Díaz-Laviada I, Diaz-Meco MT, Diaz-Nido J, Dikic I, Dinesh-Kumar SP, Ding WX, Distelhorst CW, Diwan A, Djavaheri-Mergny M, Dokudovskaya S, Dong Z, Dorsey FC, Dosenko V, Dowling JJ, Doxsey S, Dreux M, Drew ME, Duan Q, Duchosal MA, Duff K, Dugail I, Durbeej M, Duszenko M, Edelstein CL, Edinger AL, Egea G, Eichinger L, Eissa NT, Ekmekcioglu S, El-Deiry WS, Elazar Z, Elgendy M, Ellerby LM, Eng KE, Engelbrecht AM, Engelender S, Erenpreisa J, Escalante R, Esclatine A, Eskelinen EL, Espert L, Espina V, Fan H, Fan J, Fan QW, Fan Z, Fang S, Fang Y, Fanto M, Fanzani A, Farkas T, Farré JC, Faure M, Fechheimer M, Feng CG, Feng J, Feng Q, Feng Y, Fésüs L, Feuer R, Figueiredo-Pereira ME, Fimia GM, Fingar DC, Finkbeiner S, Finkel T, Finley KD, Fiorito F, Fisher EA, Fisher PB, Flajolet M, Florez-McClure ML, Florio S, Fon EA, Fornai F, Fortunato F, Fotedar R, Fowler DH, Fox HS, Franco R, Frankel LB, Fransen M, Fuentes JM, Fueyo J, Fujii J, Fujisaki K, Fujita E, Fukuda M, Furukawa RH, Gaestel M, Gailly P, Gajewska M, Galliot B, Galy V, Ganesh S, Ganetzky B, Ganley IG, Gao FB, Gao GF, Gao J, Garcia L, Garcia-Manero G, Garcia-Marcos M, Garmyn M, Gartel AL, Gatti E, Gautel M, Gawriluk TR, Gegg ME, Geng J, Germain M, Gestwicki JE, Gewirtz DA, Ghavami S, et al. Guidelines for the use and interpretation of assays for monitoring autophagy.. Autophagy, 2012.
Kwong JM, Quan A, Kyung H, Piri N, Caprioli J. Quantitative analysis of retinal ganglion cell survival with Rbpms immunolabeling in animal models of optic neuropathies.. Investigative ophthalmology & visual science, 2011.
Limb GA, Martin KR, Sixth ARVO/Pfizer Ophthalmics Research Institute Conference Working Group. Current prospects in optic nerve protection and regeneration: sixth ARVO/Pfizer Ophthalmics Research Institute conference.. Investigative ophthalmology & visual science, 2011.
Kao L, Kurtz LM, Shao X, Papadopoulos MC, Liu L, Bok D, Nusinowitz S, Chen B, Stella SL, Andre M, Weinreb J, Luong SS, Piri N, Kwong JM, Newman D, Kurtz I. Severe neurologic impairment in mice with targeted disruption of the electrogenic sodium bicarbonate cotransporter NBCe2 (Slc4a5 gene).. The Journal of biological chemistry, 2011.
Law SK, Sami M, Piri N, Coleman AL, Caprioli J. Asymmetric phenotype of Axenfeld-Rieger anomaly and aniridia associated with a novel PITX2 mutation.. Molecular vision, 2011.
Munemasa Y, Kwong JM, Kim SH, Ahn JH, Caprioli J, Piri N. Thioredoxins 1 and 2 protect retinal ganglion cells from pharmacologically induced oxidative stress, optic nerve transection and ocular hypertension.. Advances in experimental medicine and biology, 2010.
Caprioli J, Munemasa Y, Kwong JM, Piri N. Overexpression of thioredoxins 1 and 2 increases retinal ganglion cell survival after pharmacologically induced oxidative stress, optic nerve transection, and in experimental glaucoma.. Transactions of the American Ophthalmological Society, 2009.
Kwong JM, Caprioli J, Piri N. RNA binding protein with multiple splicing: a new marker for retinal ganglion cells.. Investigative ophthalmology & visual science, 2009.
Munemasa Y, Kwong JM, Caprioli J, Piri N. The role of alphaA- and alphaB-crystallins in the survival of retinal ganglion cells after optic nerve axotomy.. Investigative ophthalmology & visual science, 2009.
Verardo MR, Viczian A, Piri N, Akhmedov NB, Knox BE, Farber DB. Regulatory sequences in the 3' untranslated region of the human cGMP-phosphodiesterase beta-subunit gene.. Investigative ophthalmology & visual science, 2009.
Kim SH, Munemasa Y, Kwong JM, Ahn JH, Mareninov S, Gordon LK, Caprioli J, Piri N. Activation of autophagy in retinal ganglion cells.. Journal of neuroscience research, 2008.
Souied EH, Reid SN, Piri NI, Lerner LE, Nusinowitz S, Farber DB. Non-invasive gene transfer by iontophoresis for therapy of an inherited retinal degeneration.. Experimental eye research, 2008.
Munemasa Y, Kim SH, Ahn JH, Kwong JM, Caprioli J, Piri N. Protective effect of thioredoxins 1 and 2 in retinal ganglion cells after optic nerve transection and oxidative stress.. Investigative ophthalmology & visual science, 2008.
Ahn J, Piri N, Caprioli J, Munemasa Y, Kim SH, Kwong JM. Expression of heat shock transcription factors and heat shock protein 72 in rat retina after intravitreal injection of low dose N-methyl-D-aspartate.. Neuroscience letters, 2007.
Piri N, Song M, Kwong JM, Caprioli J. Modulation of alpha and beta crystallin expression in rat retinas with ocular hypertension-induced ganglion cell degeneration.. Brain research, 2007.
Piri N, Kwong JM, Song M, Elashoff D, Caprioli J. Gene expression changes in the retina following optic nerve transection.. Molecular vision, 2006.
Piri N, Mendoza E, Shih J, Yamashita CK, Akhmedov NB, Farber DB. Translational regulation of the rod photoreceptor cGMP-phosphodiesterase: the role of the 5'- and 3'-untranslated regions.. Experimental eye research, 2006.
Kwong JM, Lalezary M, Nguyen JK, Yang C, Khattar A, Piri N, Mareninov S, Gordon LK, Caprioli J. Co-expression of heat shock transcription factors 1 and 2 in rat retinal ganglion cells.. Neuroscience letters, 2006.
Piri N, Kwong JM, Song M, Caprioli J. Expression of hermes gene is restricted to the ganglion cells in the retina.. Neuroscience letters, 2006.
Lerner LE, Piri N, Farber DB. Transcriptional and post-transcriptional regulation of the rod cGMP-phosphodiesterase beta-subunit gene. Recent advances and current concepts.. Advances in experimental medicine and biology, 2006.
Akhmedov NB, Yamashita CK, Tran D, Piri NI, Aguirre GD, Farber DB. Two forms of the large tumor suppressor gene (Lats1) protein expressed in the vertebrate retina.. Biochimica et biophysica acta, 2005.
Piri N, Gao YQ, Danciger M, Mendoza E, Fishman GA, Farber DB. A substitution of G to C in the cone cGMP-phosphodiesterase gamma subunit gene found in a distinctive form of cone dystrophy.. Ophthalmology, 2005.
Piri N, Yamashita CK, Shih J, Akhmedov NB, Farber DB. Differential expression of rod photoreceptor cGMP-phosphodiesterase alpha and beta subunits: mRNA and protein levels.. The Journal of biological chemistry, 2003.
Piriev NI, Yamashita CK, Shih J, Farber DB. Expression of cone photoreceptor cGMP-phosphodiesterase alpha' subunit in Chinese hamster ovary, 293 human embryonic kidney, and Y79 retinoblastoma cells.. Molecular vision, 2003.
Akhmedov NB, Piriev NI, Chang B, Rapoport AL, Hawes NL, Nishina PM, Nusinowitz S, Heckenlively JR, Roderick TH, Kozak CA, Danciger M, Davisson MT, Farber DB. A deletion in a photoreceptor-specific nuclear receptor mRNA causes retinal degeneration in the rd7 mouse.. Proceedings of the National Academy of Sciences of the United States of America, 2000.
Guillonneau X, Piriev NI, Danciger M, Kozak CA, Cideciyan AV, Jacobson SG, Farber DB. A nonsense mutation in a novel gene is associated with retinitis pigmentosa in a family linked to the RP1 locus.. Human molecular genetics, 1999.
Gao YQ, Danciger M, Longmuir R, Piriev NI, Zhao DY, Heckenlively JR, Fishman GA, Weleber RG, Jacobson SG, Stone EM, Farber DB. Screening of the gene encoding the alpha'-subunit of cone cGMP-PDE in patients with retinal degenerations.. Investigative ophthalmology & visual science, 1999.
Reid SN, Akhmedov NB, Piriev NI, Kozak CA, Danciger M, Farber DB. The mouse X-linked juvenile retinoschisis cDNA: expression in photoreceptors.. Gene, 1999.
Akhmedov NB, Piriev NI, Pearce-Kelling S, Acland GM, Aguirre GD, Farber DB. Canine cone transducin-gamma gene and cone degeneration in the cd dog.. Investigative ophthalmology & visual science, 1998.
Piriev NI, Shih JM, Farber DB. Defective RNA splicing resulting from a mutation in the cyclic guanosine monophosphate-phosphodiesterase beta-subunit gene.. Investigative ophthalmology & visual science, 1998.
Akhmedov NB, Piriev NI, Ray K, Acland GM, Aguirre GD, Farber DB. Structure and analysis of the transducin beta3-subunit gene, a candidate for inherited cone degeneration (cd) in the dog.. Gene, 1997.
Gao YQ, Danciger M, Zhao DY, Blaney J, Piriev NI, Shih J, Jacobson SG, Heckenlively JH, Farber DB. Screening of the PDE6B gene in patients with autosomal dominant retinitis pigmentosa.. Experimental eye research, 1996.
Viczian AS, Piriev NI, Farber DB. Isolation and characterization of a cDNA encoding the alpha' subunit of human cone cGMP-phosphodiesterase.. Gene, 1995.
Piriev NI, Viczian AS, Ye J, Kerner B, Korenberg JR, Farber DB. Gene structure and amino acid sequence of the human cone photoreceptor cGMP-phosphodiesterase alpha' subunit (PDEA2) and its chromosomal localization to 10q24.. Genomics, 1995.
Piriev NI, Khramtsov NV, Lipkin VM. Cloning and characterization of the gene encoding the cGMP-phosphodiesterase gamma-subunit of human rod photoreceptor cells.. Gene, 1994.
Piriev NI, Yamashita C, Samuel G, Farber DB. Rod photoreceptor cGMP-phosphodiesterase: analysis of alpha and beta subunits expressed in human kidney cells.. Proceedings of the National Academy of Sciences of the United States of America, 1993.
Piriev NI, Purishko VA, Khramtsov NV, Lipkin VM. [The organization of the gamma-subunit gene of human photoreceptor cyclic GMP phosphodiesterase].. Doklady Akademii nauk SSSR, 1990.