Kiven Erique Lukong BA/B.Sc., MA, M.Sc., Ph.D.
Professor Biochemistry, Microbiology & Immunology

B.Sc., Keele University, UK, 1988, Department of Biochemistry, Biochemistry
B.A., Keele University, UK, 1988, School of Humanities, French
M.A. University of Montreal, 1992, Department of Linguistics, Translation
M.Sc. University of Montreal, 1996, Department of Biochemistry, Biochemistry
Ph.D., University of Montreal, 2002, Department of Biochemistry, Biochemistry

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Work in my lab is centered on breast tumor kinase (BRK) and two other BRK family members, FRK and SRMS. BRK is overexpressed in the majority of breast carcinomas, but the cellular and physiological implications of BRK overexpression, and the role played by the catalytic activity have not been fully defined. The current molecular classification of breast cancers includes the expression levels of receptors such as the ER, PR, and HER2. Preliminary data from our lab indicate that BRK activity is required for breast cancer tumor formation and metastasis. We intend to characterize BRK activity as a diagnostic and/or prognostic marker of breast cancer.

News

• Promoted to Full Professor as of July 01, 2020
• Sabbatical training (Bio-ID/Mass spectrometry) in the laboratory of Dr. Anne-Claude Gingras in October and November, 2019
• Graduation of three students from the Lukong lab: Raghuveera Kuma Goel (Ph.D., 2014-2018), Yetunde Ogunbolude (Ph.D., 2014-2018), Joshua MacAusland-Berg (M.Sc., 2016-2019)
• Scholarships to Lukong lab students:
  • Aditya Mandapati: College of Medicine Graduate Student Award (CoMGRAD), USASK, 2018-2020
  • Nayoung Kim: BMI Devolved, 2019-2020
  • Stephanie Cornea: Health Sciences Graduate Scholarship, USASK, 2020-2021
• Signing of first Memorandum of Understanding between the University of Ngaoundere, Cameroon, and the University of Saskatchewan in 2018. Published in “Magazine d’information de l’Université de Ngaoundéré N°001 – 2018”
• TV interview in French on my publication in MCP 2018 about the targets of SRMS and the potential implication in breast cancer. Radio-Canada Regina
  • https://ici.radio-canada.ca/nouvelle/1106123/role-proliferaction-cellule-cancereuse-cure-traitement-universite-saskatchewan
• Print media related to the MCP 2018 (Goel et al., Mol Cell Proteomics. 2018 May;17(5):925-947. doi: 10.1074/mcp.RA118.000643. Epub 2018 Mar 1. PMID: 29496907)
  • U of S 
    • https://research.usask.ca/our-impact/highlights/student-success/young-innovators/2018/u-of-s-study-targets-enzymes-role-in-breast-cancer.php
  • NSERC: Please note that this was an NSERC-funded work 
    • http://www.nserc-crsng.gc.ca/Media-Media/ResearchNewsDetails-NouvellesSurLaRechercheDetails_fra.asp?ID=989
    • http://www.nserc-crsng.gc.ca/index_eng.asp
  • Local newspaper The Starphoenix
    • https://thestarphoenix.com/news/local-news/young-innovators-u-of-s-study-targets-enzymes-role-in-breast-cancer
• NSERC operating grant: 07/2017-07/2021
• College of Medicine operating grant: 2017-2018
• CoMBRIDGE Funding Grant: 2019-2022

1. Miah S, Banks CAS, Ogunbolude Y, Bagu ET, Berg JM, Saraf A, Tettey TT, Hattem G, Dayebgadoh G, Kempf CG et al: BRK phosphorylates SMAD4 for proteasomal degradation and inhibits tumor suppressor FRK to control SNAIL, SLUG, and metastatic potential. Sci Adv 2019, 5(10):eaaw3113.
2. Miah S, Bagu E, Goel R, Ogunbolude Y, Dai C, Ward A, Vizeacoumar FS, Davies G, Vizeacoumar FJ, Anderson D et al: Estrogen receptor signaling regulates the expression of the breast tumor kinase in breast cancer cells. BMC Cancer 2019, 19(1):78.
3. Dos Santos Nunes RG, Pereira PS, Elekofehinti OO, Fidelis KR, da Silva CS, Ibrahim M, Barros LM, da Cunha FAB, Lukong KE, de Menezes IRA et al: Possible involvement of transcriptional activation of nuclear factor erythroid 2-related factor 2 (Nrf2) in the protective effect of caffeic acid on paraquat-induced oxidative damage in Drosophila melanogaster. Pestic Biochem Physiol 2019, 157:161-168.
4. Alam MW, Wahid KA, Goel RK, Lukong KE: Development of a low-cost and portable smart fluorometer for detecting breast cancer cells. Biomed Opt Express 2019, 10(2):399-410.
5. Zhao T, Li R, Tan X, Zhang J, Fan C, Zhao Q, Deng Y, Xu A, Lukong KE, Genth H et al: Simulated Microgravity Reduces Focal Adhesions and Alters Cytoskeleton and Nuclear Positioning Leading to Enhanced Apoptosis via Suppressing FAK/RhoA-Mediated mTORC1/NF-kappaB and ERK1/2 Pathways. Int J Mol Sci 2018, 19(7).
6. Goel RK, Paczkowska M, Reimand J, Napper S, Lukong KE: Phosphoproteomics Analysis Identifies Novel Candidate Substrates of the Nonreceptor Tyrosine Kinase, Src-related Kinase Lacking C-terminal Regulatory Tyrosine and N-terminal Myristoylation Sites (SRMS). Mol Cell Proteomics 2018, 17(5):925-947.
7. Goel RK, Meyer M, Paczkowska M, Reimand J, Vizeacoumar F, Vizeacoumar F, Lam TT, Lukong KE: Global phosphoproteomic analysis identifies SRMS-regulated secondary signaling intermediates. Proteome Sci 2018, 16:16.
8. da Silva CS, de Lima RDG, Elekofehinti OO, Ogunbolude Y, Duarte AE, Rocha JBT, de Menezes IRA, Barros LM, Tsopmo A, Lukong KE et al: Caffeine-supplemented diet modulates oxidative stress markers and improves locomotor behavior in the lobster cockroach Nauphoeta cinerea. Chem-Biol Interact 2018, 282:77-84.
9. Talwar T, Vidhyasagar V, Qing J, Guo M, Kariem A, Lu Y, Singh RS, Lukong KE, Wu Y: The DEAD-box protein DDX43 (HAGE) is a dual RNA-DNA helicase and has a K-homology domain required for full nucleic acid unwinding activity. J Biol Chem 2017, 292(25):10429-10443.
10. Ogunbolude Y, Dai C, Bagu ET, Goel RK, Miah S, MacAusland-Berg J, Ng CY, Chibbar R, Napper S, Raptis L et al: FRK inhibits breast cancer cell migration and invasion by suppressing epithelial-mesenchymal transition. Oncotarget 2017, 8(68):113034-113065.
11. Miah S, Banks CAS, Adams MK, Florens L, Lukong KE, Washburn MP: Advancement of mass spectrometry-based proteomics technologies to explore triple negative breast cancer. Molecular Biosystems 2017, 13(1):42-55.
12. Lukong KE, Ogunbolude Y, Kamdem JP: Breast cancer in Africa: prevalence, treatment options, herbal medicines, and socioeconomic determinants. Breast Cancer Res Treat 2017.
13. Lukong KE: Understanding breast cancer - The long and winding road. BBA Clin 2017, 7:64-77.
14. Bagu ET, Miah S, Dai CL, Spriggs T, Ogunbolude Y, Beaton E, Sanders M, Goel RK, Bonham K, Lukong KE: Repression of Fyn-related kinase in breast cancer cells is associated with promoter site-specific CpG methylation. Oncotarget 2017, 8(7):11442-11459.
15. Satram-Maharaj T, Nyarko JN, Kuski K, Fehr K, Pennington PR, Truitt L, Freywald A, Lukong KE, Anderson DH, Mousseau DD: The monoamine oxidase-A inhibitor clorgyline promotes a mesenchymal-to-epithelial transition in the MDA-MB-231 breast cancer cell line. Cell Signal 2014, 26(12):2621-2632.
16. Nwabo Kamdje AH, Seke Etet PF, Vecchio L, Tagne RS, Amvene JM, Muller JM, Krampera M, Lukong KE: New targeted therapies for breast cancer: A focus on tumor microenvironmental signals and chemoresistant breast cancers. World J Clin Cases 2014, 2(12):769-786.
17. Nwabo Kamdje AH, Seke Etet PF, Vecchio L, Muller JM, Krampera M, Lukong KE: Signaling pathways in breast cancer: therapeutic targeting of the microenvironment. Cell Signal 2014, 26(12):2843-2856.
18. Miah S, Goel RK, Dai C, Kalra N, Beaton-Brown E, Bagu ET, Bonham K, Lukong KE: BRK Targets Dok1 for Ubiquitin-Mediated Proteasomal Degradation to Promote Cell Proliferation and Migration. PLoS One 2014, 9(2):e87684.
19. Goel RK, Miah S, Black K, Kalra N, Dai C, Lukong KE: The unique N-terminal region of SRMS regulates enzymatic activity and phosphorylation of its novel substrate docking protein 1. Febs J 2013, 280(18):4539-4559.
20. Miah S, Martin A, Lukong KE: Constitutive activation of breast tumor kinase accelerates cell migration and tumor growth in vivo. Oncogenesis 2012, 1:e11.
21. LUKONG KE, El Fatimy, R.: Implications of RNA-binding proteins for Human Diseases. eLS 2012.