Surafel Mulugeta, Ph.D., is a Research Assistant Professor of Medicine in the Pulmonary,
Allergy, and Critical Care Division (PACCD) of the Department of Medicine at the University of
Pennsylvania.
Dr. Mulugeta received his Ph.D. in Biomedical Sciences in 1997 from Old Dominion
University/Eastern Virginia Medical School. He completed his post-doctoral training at the
University of Pennsylvania with Dr. Aron B. Fisher and Dr. Henry Shuman at the Institute for
Environmental Medicine, and with Dr. Michael F. Beers at the PACCD. Following two years as
a research associate in Dr. Beers’ laboratory, he joined the PCCD faculty in 2006.
Dr. Mulugeta’s early work includes studies of protein trafficking in the nervous system as well as
the identification and characterization of an alveolar type II cell localized ABC transporter
protein, ABCA3.
His recent work primarily focuses on the study of the trafficking and posttranslational molecular
processing of surfactant protein C (SP-C) and ABCA3 as well as molecular, cellular, and
functional analyses of mutant SP-C and ABCA3 forms that are associated with interstitial lung
disease (ILD). He is also involved in the study of diseases associated with other ABCA gene
mutations associated with major diseases.
Credentials
Doctoral training – Ph.D. – Biomedical Science/Neuroscience, Eastern Virginia Medical
School/Old Dominion University, Norfolk VA, 1997
Postdoctoral Fellowship – Pulmonary Biology, Institute for Environmental Medicine,
University of Pennsylvania, Philadelphia PA, 1998-2000
Postdoctoral Fellowship – Pulmonary Biology, Pulmonary and Critical Care Division,
University of Pennsylvania, Philadelphia PA, 2000-2003
Research Grants and Contracts
Dr. Mulugeta’s recent work was funded by the American Lung Association, Dalsemer Research
Award (2003-2005), by the Parker B. Francis Foundation Research Award (2004-2007), and by
NIH Investigator Research Supplement (IRS) Award (2005-2008). He is currently funded by
NIH NHLBI PO1 HL19737, NIH NHLBI RO1 HL090732, and NIH NHLBI ARRA HL090732 .
Recent Publications
Mulugeta, S., J. M. Gray, K. L. Notarfrancesco, L. W. Gonzales, M. Koval, S. I. Feinstein, P. L.
Ballard, A. B. Fisher, and H. Shuman. Identification of lbm180 a Lamellar Body Limiting
Membrane Protein of Alveolar Type II Cells as the ABC Transporter Protein, ABCA3. J. Biol.
Chem. 277:22147-22155, 2002.
Wang, W., S. J. Russo, S. Mulugeta, and M. F. Beers. Biosynthesis of Surfactant Protein C:
Sorting of SP-C Proprotein Involves Homomeric Association Via a Signal Anchor Domain. J.
Biol. Chem. 277:19929-19937, 2002.
Wang, W., S.Mulugeta, S. J. Russo, and M. F. Beers. Deletion of Exon 4 From Human
Surfactant Protein C Results in Aggresome Formation and Generation of a Dominant Negative.
J. Cell Science 116:683-692, 2003.
Mulugeta, S., and M. F. Beers. Processing of Surfactant Protein C Requires a Type II
Transmembrane Topolgy Directed by Juxtamembrane Positively Charged Residues. J. Biol.
Chem. 278:47979-47986, 2003.
Brasch, F., M. Griese, M. Tredano, G. Johnen, M. Ochs, T. Nicolai, C. Rieger, S. Hagwood, S.
Mulugeta, K.M. Muller, M. Bahuau, and M. F. Beers. Interstitial Pneumonia and Pulmonary
Alveolar Proteinosis in a Full-Term Baby with a De Novo Mutation in the Surfactant Protein C
Gene. Eur. Resp. J. 24:1-11, 2004.
Beers M. F., and S. Mulugeta. Surfactant Protein Processing and its Emerging Role in
Conformational Lung Disease. (Review) Annu. Rev. Physio., 67:663-696, 2005.
Stevens, P.A., A. Pettenazzo, F. Brasch, S. Mulugeta, A. Bartussio; M. Ochs, L. Morrison, S. J.,
Russo, and M. F. Beers. Non-Specific Interstitial Pneumonitis, Lipoptoteinosis, and Abnormal
Proprotein Trafficking Resulting From a Spontaneous Mutation in the Surfactant Protein C
Gene. Pediatrics Research. 57:89-98, 2005.
Mulugeta, S., V. Nguyen, S. J. Russo, M. Muniswamy, and M. F. Beers. A ProSP-C BRICHOS
Domain Mutation Causes ER Stress, Proteasome Dysfunction, and Caspase 3 Activation. 2005
Am. J. Resp. Cell Mol. Biol. 32:521-530, 2005.
Beers, M. F., and S. Mulugeta. Surfactant: Surfactant proteins B and C (SP-B and SP-C) in
Encyclopedia of Respiratory Medicine. Editors: G. Laurent and S. Shapiro. Elsevier – St. Louis.
148-151, 2006.
Mulugeta, S. and Beers M. F.. Surfactant Protein C: Its Unique Properties and Emerging
Immunomodulatory Role in the Lung. (Review) Microbes and Infection 8:2317-2323, 2006.
Mulugeta S., Maguire, J.A., Newitt, J.L., Russo, S.J., Kotorashvili, A., and Beers, M.F.:
Misfolded BRICHOS SP-C mutant proteins induce apoptosis via caspase 4 and cytochrome c
related mechanisms. Am J Physiol Lung Cell Mol Physiol 293: L720–L729, 2007.
Kotorashvilli, A., Russo, SJ., Mulugeta, S., Guttentag, S., Beers, MF.: Anterograde Transport
of Surfactant Protein C Proprotein to Distal Processing Compartments Requires PPDY
Mediated Association with Nedd4 Ubiquitin Ligases. J Biol Chem 284:16667-16678, 2009.
Maguire, J.A., Mulugeta S., and Beers, M.F.: Endoplasmic Reticulum Stress Induced by
Surfactant Protein C BRICHOS Mutants Promotes Proinflammatory Signaling by Epithelial
Cells. AJRCMB doi:10.1165/rcmb.2009-0382OC, 2010.
Woischinki, M., Sparri, C., Kern, S., Thrum, T., Hector, A., Hartl, D., Liebisch, G., Mulugeta,
S., Beers, M.F., Schimtz, G., Griesei, M. A non-BRICHOS surfactant protein C mutation
disrupts epithelial cell function and intercellular signaling. BMC Cell Biol doi:10.1186/14712121-11-88, 2010.
Research Interests
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Molecular pathways of surfactant protein C and ABCA3
Gene mutations associated with lung diseases
Motifs and domains as mediators of intracellular trafficking and targeting of proteins