flores_oteroAssistant Professor

Med Sci Campus
Main Bldg Office A501B
jacqueline.flores@upr.edu
787-758-2525 x1578

Interests: Our goal is to elucidate the role of adhesion G protein-coupled receptors (GPCRs) in regulating retinoblastoma (Rb) tumor development and progression with a focus on cellular migration. By using a combination of cellular and molecular approaches, in tandem with Total Internal Reflection Fluorescence (TIRF) microscopy, we will define the kinetic properties of these orphan receptors, and furthermore determine how alterations in the kinetics and signaling of adhesion proteins regulate Rb cell motility.

Present Funding: NIH RCMI; Puerto Rico Science & Technology Trust (Fideicomiso)

Selected Publications:

  • Vecchinni Rodríguez, C.M., Escalona Y. and Flores-Otero, J. Cannabinoid Receptors and Ligands: lessons from CNS disorders and the quest for novel treatment venues.  In: Cannabinoids and Sleep: molecular, functional and clinical aspects.  Jaime M. Monti, S. Pandi-Perumal, and Eric Murillo-Rodríguez, Eds.  Springer, in press.
  • Goldsmith ZK, Coppess W, Irvine AS, Yuan K, Barsh SR, Ritter MK, McEwen MW, Flores-Otero J, Garcia-Vargas A, Martinez-Ferrer M, Brennan RC, Morales-Tirado VM, Wilson MW (2018) Targeting the platelet-derived growth factor-beta stimulatory circuitry to control retinoblastoma seeds. Invest Ophthalmol Vis Sci. 2018 Sep 4;59(11):4486-4495. doi: 10.1167/iovs.18-24359. PMID: 30193324
  • González-Espada W, Díaz-Muñoz G, Feliú-Mójer M, Flores-Otero J, Fortis-Santiago Y, Guerrero-Medina G, López-Casillas M, Colón-Ramos DA, Fernández-Repollet E. (2015) Assessing a Science Graduate School Recruitment Symposium. Cuad Investig Educ. Dec; 30:55-70.
  • Roman-Vendrell C, Chevalier M, Acevedo-Canabal AM, Delgado-Peraza F, Flores-Otero J, Yudowski GA. Imaging of kiss-and-run exocytosis of surface receptors in neuronal cultures. Front Cell Neurosci. 2014 Nov 3;8:363. doi: 10.3389/fncel.2014.00363. eCollection 2014.
  • Flores-Otero J.*, Ahn K.H.*, Delgado Peraza F., Mackie K., Kendall D.A. and Yudowski G.A. Ligand-specific endocytic dwell times control functional selectivity of the cannabinoid receptor 1. Nature Communications, August 2014. 4589. doi: 10.1038/ncomms5589. *These authors contributed equally.
  • Guerrero-Medina G., Feliú-Mójer M., González-Espada W., Díaz-Muñoz G., López M., Díaz-Muñoz S.L., Fortis-Santiago Y., Flores-Otero J., Craig D., Colón-Ramos D.A. Supporting Diversity in Science through Social Networking. PLoS Biology, December 2013 (12): 1-6. doi: 10.1371/journal.pbio.1001740.

  • Zhang J.*, Benavente C.*, McEvoy J.*, Flores-Otero J.*, Ding L., Chen X., Ulyanov A., Wu G., Wilson M., Wang J., Brennan R., Rusch M., Manning AL., Ma J., Easton J., Shurtleff S., Mullighan C., Pounds S., Mukatira S., Gupta P., Neale G., Zhao D., Lu C., Fulton RS., Fulton LL., Hong X., Dooling DJ., Ochoa K., Naeve C., Dyson NJ., Mardis ER., Bahrami A., Ellison D., Wilson RK., Downing JR. and Dyer MA. A Novel Retinoblastoma Therapy from Genomic and Epigenetic Analyses. Nature, Jan. 2012. 481 (7381):329-34. *These authors contributed equally.

  • McEvoy J.M.*, Flores-Otero J.*, Zhang J., Nemeth K., Brennan R., Bradley C., Krafcik F.,  Rodriguez-Galindo C., ., Wilson M., Xiong S., Lozano G., Sage J., Fu L., Louhibi L., Trimarchi J., Pani A., Smeyne R., Johnson D. and Dyer MA. Coexpression of Normally Incompatible Developmental Pathways in Retinoblastoma Genesis. Cancer Cell, August 2011 (2): 260-75. *These authors contributed equally.
  • Brennan R., Federico S., Bradley C., Zhang J., Flores-Otero J., Wilson M., Stewart C., Zhu F., Guy K. and Dyer M.A. Targeting the p53 Pathway in Retinoblastoma Subconjunctival Nutlin-3a. Cancer Research, June 2011 (12): 4205-13.
  • Flores-Otero J. and Davis R.L. Synaptic Proteins are Tonotopically Graded in Postnatal andAdult Type I and Type II Spiral Ganglion Neurons. Journal of Comparative Neurobiology. June 2011: 519(8): 1455-75.
  • Flores-Otero J., Hue Z. and Davis R.L. Reciprocal Regulation of Pre- and Post-synaptic Proteins  in Bipolar Spiral Ganglion Neurons by Neurotrophins. Journal of Neuroscience. Dec. 2007; 27 (51): 14023-14034.
  • Reid M.A., Flores-Otero J. and Davis R.L. Firing Patterns of Type II Spiral Ganglion Neurons in vitro. Journal of Neuroscience. Jan. 2004, 24 (3): 733-742.

  • Klepzig K.D., Flores-Otero J., Hofstetter R.W. and Ayres M.P. Effects of Available Water on Growth and Competition of Southern Pine Beetle Associated Fungi. Mycology Research. Feb. 2004; 108 (Pt2): 183-188.