The Basic Biology of Aging at the University of Washington
Junko Oshima, M.D., Ph.D.

Biosketch Information
Email: picard@u.washington.edu

Dr. Oshima’s research concerns genetic mechanisms of senescence in human subjects. She has studied a rare progeroid syndrom, Werner syndrome, which is an autosomal recessive disorder with a clinical presentation resembling premature aging. Her laboratory successfully cloned the Wener syndrome gene (WRN) that encodes a novel helicase.

Dr. Oshima is examining the normal function of the WRN gene product to understand mutations that result in premature replicative senescence, a mutator phenotype, and other features of Werner syndrome. Two projects include: 1. an investigation of the pathogenesis of Werner syndrome by the use of mouse models and 2. a comprehensive analysis of the spectrum of mutations at the WRN locus among various ethnic groups.

Dr. Oshima is Research Associate Professor, Department of Pathology, specializing in research of the Werner syndrome. She won a Nathan Shock New Invesiltgator Award in 1999.

Selected Relevant Publications
Gray MD, Wang L., Youssoufian H, Martin GM, Oshima J. Werner helicase is localized to transcriptionally active nucleoli of cycling cells. Exp Cell Res 242:487-494, 1998.

Shen JC, Gray MD, Oshima J, Loeb LA. Characterization of Werner syndrome protein DNA helicase activity: Directionality, substrate dependence, and stimulation by replication protein A. Nucl Acids Res 26:2879-2885, 1998.

Moser MJ, Oshima J, Monnat RJ. Mutation update: WRN mutations in Werner syndrome. Hum Mut 13:271-279, 1999.

Oshima J. Comparative aspects of the Werner syndrome gene. In Vivo 14:165-172, 2000.

Oshima J. The Werner syndrome protein: an update. BioEssays 22:894-901, 2000.

Castro E, Edland SD, Lee L, Ogburn CE, Deeb SS, Brown G, Panduro A, Riestra R, Tilvis R, Louhija J, Penttinen R, Penttinen R, Erkkola R, Wang L, Martin GM, Oshima J. Polymorphisms at the Werner locus: II. 1074/Leu/Phe, 1367Cys/Arg, longevity, and atherosclerosis. Am J Med Genet 95:374-380, 2000.

Choi D, Whittier PS, Oshima J, Funk WD. Telomerase expression prevents replicative senescence but does not fully reset mRNA expression patterns in Werner syndrome cell strains. FASEB J 15:1014-1020, 2001.

Oshima J, Huang S, Pae C, Campisi J, Schiestl R. Lack of WRN results in extensive delection at non-homologous joining ends. Cancer Res 62:547-551, 2002.