Ali Abdul-Sater

Faculty & School/Dept.

Faculty of Health - School of Kinesiology & Health Science

Degrees

Ph. D. - 2010
University of California
Merced, CA - USA

M. Sc. - 2005
American University of Beirut
Beirut, Lebanon

B. Sc. - 2003
Haigazian University
Beirut, Lebanon

Postdoctoral Scientist - 2013
Columbia University
New York, NY - USA

Postdoctoral fellow - 2016
University of Toronto
Toronto, ON - Canada

Biography

Dr. Abdul-Sater is an Associate Professor in the Faculty of Health at York University in Toronto, Canada. His research program is focused on understanding the role of TRAF1 in regulating inflammation and on exploring ways to target this protein to devise new therapies for autoimmune diseases and blood cancers, especially rheumatoid arthritis, and chronic lymphocytic leukemia. Dr. Abdul-Sater has been recognized with several prestigious awards including the “Stars Career Development Award” from the Arthritis Society, a “Research Chair in the Regulatory Mechanisms of Inflammation” from York University, the “Bhagirath Singh Early Career Award in Infection and Immunity” from the Canadian Institute for Health Research and a Discovery Award from the Banting Foundation.

Selected Publications

Ali Mirzaesmaeili*, Safoura Zangiabadi*, Jonathan Raspanti*, Ali Akram*, Robert D Inman and Ali A. Abdul-Sater. Cutting Edge: Negative Regulation of Inflammasome Activation by TRAF1 Can Limit Gout. Journal of Immunology 2023 Mar 1;210(5):531-535. doi: 10.4049/jimmunol.2200465.

Eddie Tam, Hye Kyoung Sung, Nhat Hung Lam, Sally You, Sungji Cho, Saher M. Ahmed, Ali A. Abdul-Sater,Gary Sweeney. Role of mitochondrial iron overload in mediating cell death in H9c2 cells. 2022 Dec 28;12(1):118. doi: 10.3390/cells12010118.

 

Anna Vainshtein, Mikhaela Slavin, Arthur Cheng, Jonathan Memme, Ashley Oliveira, Christopher Perry, Ali Abdul-Sater, Angelo Belcastro, Michael Riddell, Matthew Triolo, Tara Haas, Emilie Roudier, and David Hood. Scientific Meeting report: International Biochemistry of Exercise 2022. Journal of Applied Physiology 2022 Nov 10. doi: 10.1152/japplphysiol.00475.2022

Sung HK, Murugathasan M*, Reboucas P, Abdul-Sater AA, Sweeney G. Autophagy deficiency exacerbates iron overload induced reactive oxygen species production and apoptotic cell death in skeletal muscle cells. Cell Death & Disease 2022 Nov (In Press)

Emily C. Fraschetti, Lauren E. Skelly, Joel L. Prowting, Ali A. Abdul-Sater, and Andrea R. Josse. The acute effects of milk consumption on systemic inflammation after combined resistance and plyometric exercise in young adult females. Nutrients 2022 Oct 28;14(21):4532. doi: 10.3390/nu14214532.

Samuel A. Killackey, Nathaniel J. Winsor, Dana J. Philpott, Ali A. Abdul-Sater, and Stephen E. Girardin. Mitochondrial protein import stress regulates the LC3 lipidation step of mitophagy through NLRX1 and RRBP1. Molecular Cell June 2022 (In Press)

Safoura Zangiabadi and Ali A. Abdul-Sater. Regulation of the NLRP3 Inflammasome by Posttranslational Modifications. The Journal of Immunology, 15, 2022, 208 (2) 286-292; DOI: https://doi.org/10.4049/jimmunol.2100734

Ali Akram, Safoura Zangiabad* and Ali A. Abdul Sater. Detection of ASC Oligomerization by Western Blotting. Methods in Molecular Biology, 2022;2459:73-78.  doi: 10.1007/978-1-0716-2144-8_7

Mayoorey Murugathasan and Ali A. Abdul Sater. Measurement of Inflammasome-Induced Mitochondrial Dysfunction by Flow Cytometry. Methods in Molecular Biology, 2022;2459:65-72.  doi: 10.1007/978-1-0716-2144-8_6

Maria I Edilova, Jaclyn C Law, Safoura Zangiabadi, Kenneth Ting, Achire Mbanwi, Andrea Arruda, David Uehling, Methvin Isaac, Michael Prakesch, Rima Al-awar, Mark D Minden, Ali A. Abdul-Sater, and Tania H. Watts. (Abdul-Sater and Watts are joint senior authors). The PKN1- TRAF1 signaling axis as a potential new target for chronic lymphocytic leukemia. Oncoimmunolgy – Volume 10, 2021 - Issue 1 https://doi.org/10.1080/2162402X.2021.1943234

Maria I. Edilova, Ali Akram and Ali A. Abdul Sater. Innate Immunity Drives Pathogenesis of Rheumatoid Arthritis. Biomedical Journal, 2020 Jul 8:S2319-4170(20)30098-6. doi: 10.1016/j.bj.2020.06.010

David Ojcius, Ardavan Jafari, Laxmi Yeruva, Christian Schindler and Ali Abdul-Sater. Dicer controls the activation of NLRP3 inflammasomes. PLoS One 2019 Apr 23;14(4):e0215689. doi: 10.1371/journal.pone.0215689.

Dhillon B, Aleithan F, Abdul-Sater Z, Abdul-Sater AA. The Evolving Role of TRAFs in Mediating Inflammatory Responses. Frontiers in Immunology, 2019 Feb | https://doi.org/10.3389/fimmu.2019.00104

Abdul-Sater AA, Edilova MI, Clouthier DL, Mbanwi A, Kremmer E, Watts TH. The signaling adaptor TRAF1 negatively regulates Toll-like receptor signaling and this underlies its role in rheumatic disease. Nature Immunology 2017 ;18(1): 26-35. doi: 10.1038/ni.3618. 

Chang YH, Wang KC, Chu KL, Clouthier DL, Tran AT, Torres Perez MS, Zhou AC, Abdul-Sater AA, Watts TH. Dichotomous Expression of TNF Superfamily Ligands on Antigen-Presenting Cells Controls Post-priming Anti-viral CD4+ T Cell Immunity. Immunity, 2017; 47(5):943-958 


Abdul-Sater AA, Majoros A, Plumlee CR, Perry S, Gu AD, Lee C, Shresta S, Decker T, Schindler C. Different STAT transcription complexes drive early and delayed responses to type I Interferons.  The Journal of Immunology, 2015 Jul 1;195(1):210-6

Abdul-Sater AA, Tattoli I, Jin L, Grajkowski A, Levi A, Koller BH, Allen IC, Beaucage SL, Fitzgerald KA, Ting JP, Cambier JC, Girardin SE, Schindler C. Cyclic-di-GMP and cyclic-di-AMP activate the NLRP3 inflammasome. EMBO Reports 2013 Oct;14(10):900-6

Abdul-Sater, A. A., Grajkowski, A., Erdjument-Bromage, H., Plumlee, C., Levi, A., Schreiber, M. T., Lee, C., Shuman, H., Beaucage, S. L. & Schindler, C. The overlapping host responses to bacterial cyclic dinucleotides. Microbes and Infection 2012 Feb;14(2):188-97.

Abdul-Sater, A. A., Said-Sadier, N., Lam, V. M., Singh, B., Pettengill, M. A., Soares, F., Tattoli, I., Lipinski, S., Girardin, S. E., Rosenstiel, P. & Ojcius, D. M. Enhancement of reactive oxygen species production and chlamydial infection by the mitochondrial Nod-like family member NLRX1. Journal of Biological Chemistry, 2010 Dec 31;285(53):41637-45.

Abdul-Sater, A. A., Said-Sadier, N., Padilla, E. V. & Ojcius, D. Chlamydial infection of monocytes stimulates IL-1beta secretion through activation of the NLRP3 inflammasome. Microbes and Infection, 2010 Aug;12(8-9):652-61.

Abdul-Sater, A. A., Koo, E., Hacker, G. & Ojcius, D. M. Inflammasome-dependent caspase-1 activation in cervical epithelial cells stimulates growth of the intracellular pathogen Chlamydia trachomatis. Journal of Biological Chemistry, 2009 Sep 25;284(39):26789-96.

Sater, A. A., Ojcius, D. M. & Meyer, M. P. Susceptibility of Chlamydia trachomatis to the excipient hydroxyethyl cellulose: pH and concentration dependence of antimicrobial activity. Antimicrobial Agents and Chemotherapy, 2008 Jul;52(7):2660-2.

Seror, C., Melki, M. T., Subra, F., Raza, S. Q., Bras, M., Saidi, H., Nardacci, R., Voisin, L., Paoletti, A., Law, F., Martins, I., Amendola, A., Abdul-Sater, A. A., Ciccosanti, F., Delelis, O., Niedergang, F., Thierry, S., Said-Sadier, N., Lamaze, C., Metivier, D., Estaquier, J., Fimia, G. M., Falasca, L., Casetti, R., Modjtahedi, N., Kanellopoulos, J., Mouscadet, J. F., Ojcius, D. M., Piacentini, M., Gougeon, M. L., Kroemer, G. & Perfettini, J. L. Extracellular ATP acts on P2Y2 purinergic receptors to facilitate HIV-1 infection. Journal of Experimental Medicine, 2011 Aug 29;208(9):1823-34. 

Ali Abdul Sater*, Matthew A Pettengill*, Robson Coutinho-Silva, David M Ojcius. Danger Signals, Inflammasomes, and the Intricate Intracellular Lives of Chlamydiae. , Biomedical Journal, July 2016 (In Press) *co-first authors

Ali A Abdul-Sater and Dana J Philpott. Inflammasomes. Encyclopedia of Immunobiology 2016 (In Press)

Abdul-Sater, A. A. & Schindler, C. Interferon regulation of the innate response to bacteria. Jak-Stat Signaling : From Basics to Disease. DOI 10.1007/978-3-7091-0891-8_22, # Springer-Verlag/Wien 2012 (Book Chapter)

Abdul-Sater, A. A., Said-Sadier, N., Ojcius, D. M., Yilmaz, O. & Kelly, K. A. Inflammasomes bridge signaling between pathogen identification and the immune response. Drugs of Today (Barc), 2009 Nov;45 Suppl B:105-12. Review.

Affiliations

Canadian Society for Immunology (CSI)

Canadian Society for Exercise Physiology (CSEP)

International Society of Exercise and Immunology (ISEI)

The American Association of Immunologists

Awards

Arthritis Society Stars Career Development Award - 2019

Bhagirath Singh Early Career Award in Infection and Immunity - 2019

York Research Leader - 2019

Faculty of Health Dean’s Early Career Research Award - 2019

Banting Research Foundation Discovery Award - 2018

BD-Biosciences Immunology PostDoctoral Award - 2016

York Research Leader - 2021

York Research Chair in the Regulatory Mechanisms of Inflammation - 2021

Supervision

Currently available to supervise graduate students: Yes

Currently taking on work-study students, Graduate Assistants or Volunteers: No

Available to supervise undergraduate thesis projects: Yes

Current Research

Our lab is interested in identifying novel regulators of inflammation and understanding the molecular mechanisms through which these regulators control innate immunity and the inflammatory response. We are currently pursuing several avenues of research, and they include:

1) Investigating the molecular mechanisms through which different exercise regimens regulate the immune response.

2) Specific targeting of TRAF1 to treat Rheumatoid Arthritis and other inflammatio-driven diseases.

3) Assessing the role of individual Type I interferons in bacterial and viral responses.