Research Interests

• Molecular mechanisms of transendothelial exchange between the blood plasma and the interstitial fluid in normal and pathological states.
• Role of caveolae, in the physiology and pathophysiology of the transendothelial exchanges.
• Endocytosis, transcytosis, and vesicular trafficking.
• Role of intersectin, a recently identified endocytic protein, in regulating membrane fission and fusion processes of endothelial caveolae.

My work in the continuous type of endothelium from lung and heart led to the identification of caveolae as transcytotic carriers for molecules larger than 20 A diameter. It also led to the discovery of supramolecular protein-lipid complexes involved in the important steps in transcytosis such as targeting, membrane fusion, fission, and recycling. These complexes are present in the endothelial cell cytosol or associated with the caveolar membranes. Finally, my recent work demonstrated a crucial role of intersectin, through its interaction with dynamin, in regulating the fission and internalization of caveolae.

• Predescu D, Horvat R, Predescu S, Palade GE: Transcytosis in the continuous endothelium of the myocardial microvasculature is inhibited by N-ethylmaleimide. Proc Natl Acad Sci USA 91:3014-3018, 1994.


• Predescu D, Ihida K, Predescu S, Palade GE: The Vascular Distribution of the Platelet Activating Factor Receptor. European Journal of Cell Biology 69:86-98, 1996.


• Predescu S, Predescu D, Palade GE: Plasmalemmal vesicles function as transcytotic carriers for small proteins in the continuous endothelium. American J of Physiol H937-H949, 1997.


• Predescu D, Predescu S, McQuistan T, Palade GE: Transcytosis of alpha1-acidic glycoprotein in the continuous microvascular endothelium. Proc Natl Acad Sci U S A 95:6175-6180, 1998.


• Predescu S, Predescu D, Palade G.E.: Endothelial Transcytotic Machinery Involves Supramolecular protein-Lipid Complexes. Molecular Biology of the Cell. 12:1019-1033, 2001.


• Skidgel RA, Gao XP, Brovkovych V, Rahman A, Jho D, Predescu S, Standiford TJ, Malik AB. Nitric oxide stimulates macrophage inflammatory protein-2 expression in sepsis. J. Immunology. 15; 169 (4): 2093-101. 2002.


• Predescu D, Predescu S, and Malik AB. Transport of nitrated albumin in the continuous endothelium. Proc Natl Acad Sci USA 99:13932-13937. 2002.


• Predescu S, Predescu D. Timblin B, Malik AB. Intersectin regulates internalization and intracellular fission processes of caveolae. MBC, 2003.