John Lee Soto-Vargas
Research
Publications
2025
A multi-omic approach implicates novel protein dysregulation in post-traumatic stress disorder
Wang J, Liu Y, Li H, Nguyen T, Soto-Vargas J, Wilson R, Wang W, Lam T, Zhang C, Lin C, Lewis D, Glausier J, Holtzheimer P, Friedman M, Williams K, Picciotto M, Nairn A, Krystal J, Duman R, Young K, Zhao H, Girgenti M. A multi-omic approach implicates novel protein dysregulation in post-traumatic stress disorder. Genome Medicine 2025, 17: 43. PMID: 40301990, PMCID: PMC12042318, DOI: 10.1186/s13073-025-01473-1.Peer-Reviewed Original ResearchConceptsPost-traumatic stress disorderDorsolateral prefrontal cortexPsychiatric disordersAutism spectrum disorderPrefrontal cortexDepressive disorderStress disorderGamma-aminobutyric acidGenome-wide association studiesPTSD brainsGenome-wide measurementsStudies of postmortem brainsSubgenual prefrontal cortexDisabling psychiatric disorderMultiple psychiatric disordersPrefrontal cortical areasPTSD casesHuman brain studiesBrain regionsSpectrum disorderGABAergic processesPostmortem brainsMDDProtein co-expression modulesProteomic profilingTranslaminar synchronous neuronal activity is required for columnar synaptic strengthening in the mouse neocortex
Vargas-Ortiz J, Lin L, Martinez V, Liu R, Babij R, Duan Z, Wacks S, Sun L, Wang A, Khan S, Soto-Vargas J, De Marco García N, Che A. Translaminar synchronous neuronal activity is required for columnar synaptic strengthening in the mouse neocortex. Nature Communications 2025, 16: 1296. PMID: 39900899, PMCID: PMC11791040, DOI: 10.1038/s41467-024-55783-w.Peer-Reviewed Original ResearchThis study shows how connections across layers in the cortex synchronize early brain activity, guiding sensory development and informing strategies to address neurodevelopmental disorders.
2023
Drebrin Regulates Collateral Axon Branching in Cortical Layer II/III Somatosensory Neurons
Dorskind J, Sudarsanam S, Hand R, Ziak J, Amoah-Dankwah M, Guzman-Clavel L, Soto-Vargas J, Kolodkin A. Drebrin Regulates Collateral Axon Branching in Cortical Layer II/III Somatosensory Neurons. Journal Of Neuroscience 2023, 43: 7745-7765. PMID: 37798130, PMCID: PMC10648559, DOI: 10.1523/jneurosci.0553-23.2023.Peer-Reviewed Original ResearchConceptsLoss-of-functionCollateral axonal branchingMolecular mechanismsF-actin bundlesStructure-function analysisCircuit formationAxon collateral branchesCortical circuit formationAxonal branchesPyramidal excitatory neuronsLoss-of-function experimentsFemale mouse modelProtein domainsF-actinCortical neuronal morphologyLaminar-specific mannerBranch initiationGene expressionSynaptic partnersSingle-cell labelingAxonal protrusionsDrebrinExcitatory neuronsSomatosensory neuronsDBN1
2018
Effects of histone methyltransferase inhibition in endometriosis†
Colón-Caraballo M, Torres-Reverón A, Soto-Vargas J, Young S, Lessey B, Mendoza A, Urrutia R, Flores I. Effects of histone methyltransferase inhibition in endometriosis†. Biology Of Reproduction 2018, 99: 293-307. PMID: 29408993, PMCID: PMC6373837, DOI: 10.1093/biolre/ioy030.Peer-Reviewed Original ResearchConceptsEndometriotic lesionsGene promoter regionEndometriotic cellsEndometriotic epithelial cellsPromoter regionInhibition of EZH2In vivo efficacyHistone methyltransferase EZH2Nonhormonal treatmentsImmunostaining levelsTissue microarrayEndometriotic tissueEutopic endometriumPreclinical studiesLevels of EZH2Invasion in vitroInvasion of endometriotic cellsGynecological diseasesEZH2 inhibitorsEZH2 protein levelsMethyltransferase inhibitionChromatin immunoprecipitation-qPCREpithelial cellsPharmacological inhibitionPharmacological inhibitors
2017
Dissecting the Role of EZH2 and H3K27me3 in Endometriosis
Colon‐Caraballo M, Soto‐Vargas J, Urrutia R, Flores I. Dissecting the Role of EZH2 and H3K27me3 in Endometriosis. The FASEB Journal 2017, 31 DOI: 10.1096/fasebj.31.1_supplement.1058.1.Peer-Reviewed Original ResearchEndometriotic lesionsHistone methyltransferase inhibitorsHistone marksEffect of EZH2 inhibitionPromoter regionChIP-qPCRPharmacological inhibition of EZH2Cells expressing high levelsWestern blottingCell linesIsoform protein expressionCellular behaviorH3K27me3 histone marksInhibition of EZH2Promoter regions of candidate genesChIP-qPCR resultsH3K27me3 antibodiesUterine cavityGynecologic conditionsEutopic endometriumEndometriotic samplesLevels of H3K27me3EZH2 inhibitionEndometriotic cellsTranscription machinery