Michael J. Jurynec

Michael J. Jurynec, PhD

Languages spoken: English

Academic Information

Departments Primary - Orthopaedics , Adjunct - Human Genetics

Lab

Research Interests

  • Genetics
  • Osteoarthritis
  • Inflammation
  • Zebrafish
  • Mouse Genetics
  • Joint Diseases
  • Bone Diseases
  • Variation (Genetics)
  • Inflammation Mediators
  • Disease Models, Animal
  • Arthritis

My group works to discover and understand the functions of genes underlying the onset and progression of osteoarthritis and other bone and joint diseases. We use a combination of approaches including human genetics, bioinformatics, and model organisms to elucidate the molecular and biological mechanisms that lead to changes in the synovial joint and contribute to the disease phenotype. Our goal is to use genetic discovery to inform rational therapeutic design to help patients suffering from osstoarthritis.

Research Statement

My group works to discover and understand the functions of genes underlying the onset and progression of osteoarthritis. We use a combination of approaches including human genetics, bioinformatics, and model organisms (zebrafish and mouse) to elucidate the molecular and biological mechanisms that lead to changes in the synovial joint and contribute to the osteoarthritis phenotype.

Osteoarthritis (OA) is a common debilitating disease involving abnormal remodeling of joint tissues, severely reducing quality of life as a consequence of joint pain and limited mobility. It is the major cause of disability among adults. No cure for OA exists, and with the exception of surgical intervention, therapies tend to be solely palliative, failing to prevent the initiation or progression of the disease. Lack of basic scientific understanding of the genes and biological processes underlying or conferring susceptibility to OA is a key limitation to the development of effective therapies.

Analysis of families with highly penetrant, often severe, forms of osteoarthritis is a powerful approach for finding disease-causing variants. Deciphering how a human disease-associated variant affects gene function and leads to the disease state is a limiting step in understanding the genotype-phenotype correlation. Our recent work highlights the importance of combining human genetics with functional analyses in models. We identified gene variants associated with an inherited severe early-onset form of osteoarthritis. Analysis of the action of the gene in zebrafish embryos revealed the variant to be an activating mutation affecting the inflammation response pathway. These studies highlight inflammatory pathways as potentially important mechanisms driving the pathogenesis of osteoarthritis. Current work is aimed at testing whether the inflammation gene variant is sufficient to confer susceptibility to OA in mice and expanding the family studies to identify new gene variants and biological pathways that have strong effects on the pathogenesis of this disease.

Education History

Postdoctoral Fellowship University of Utah
 Postdoctoral Fellow
Doctoral Training University of Utah
 PhD
Undergraduate Emory University
 BS

Selected Publications

Journal Article

  1. Veerabhadraiah SR, Ma Y, Hegde S, Stark A, Jurynec MJ (2026). Identification and Validation of a Novel WNK2 Inhibitor: A New Genetically Informed Target for Osteoarthritis Drug Development. ACS Omega, 11(32), 48157-48172.
  2. Metz AK, Kelly M, Jurynec MJ, Certain LK, Blackburn BE, Rainey JP, Gililland JM (2026). Genetic Susceptibility to Periprosthetic Joint Infection in Total Knee Arthroplasty: Insights from Familial Analysis. J Infect Dis.
  3. Tang J, Lu J, Johnston D, Hoshijima K, Wakefield B, Bai D, Stathopulos PB, Thompson RJ, Lohman AW, Jurynec MJ, Beier F, Penuela S (2026). Human pannexin mutations and their implications in erosive osteoarthritis. Proc Natl Acad Sci U S A, 123(20), e2535302123.
  4. Rose BJ, Servais M, Aslor C, Christensen GB, Yu Z, Collier D, Crockett DK, Kazmers NH, Jurynec MJ (2026). Familial clustering and physiological risk factors associated with intervertebral disc degeneration in a large population-based cohort. Osteoarthr Cartil Open, 8(2), 100795.
  5. Jurynec MJ, Nosyreva E, Thompson D, Novak KA, Matheson DJ, Veerabhadraiah SR, Ma Y, Smith MC, Kazmers NH, Feier S, Ullah G, Syeda R (2026). PIEZO1 variants that reduce open channel probability are associated with familial osteoarthritis. J Biol Chem, 302(5), 111426.
  6. Veerabhadraiah SR, Matheson DJ, Honeggar M, Aslor C, Zelada AC, Stubben C, Stoddard GJ, Kazmers NH, Grunwald DJ, Jurynec MJ (2025). WNK2 variants associated with familial osteoarthritis alter the chondrocyte response to hyperosmotic stress. RMD Open, 11(3).
  7. Liu H, Binoy A, Ren S, Martino TC, Miller AE, Willis CRG, Veerabhadraiah SR, Bons J, Rose JP, Schilling B, Jurynec MJ, Zhu S (2025). Regulation of Chondrocyte Metabolism and Osteoarthritis Development by Sirt5 Through Protein Lysine Malonylation. Arthritis Rheumatol.
  8. Chalmers PN, Jurynec MJ, Hickey AM, Fallin TW, Zelada AC, Honeggar M, Hotaling JM, Emery B, Tashjian R (2025). Local estradiol deposition in a rat rotator cuff repair model: proof of concept. JSES Int, 9(4), 1164-1171.
  9. Tashjian RZ, Zitnay J, Kazmers NH, Veerabhadraiah SR, Zelada AC, Honeggar M, Smith MC, Chalmers PN, Henninger HB, Jurynec MJ (2024). Tenascin C deletion impairs tendon healing and functional recovery after rotator cuff repair. J Orthop Res, 43(3), 483-491.
  10. Tashjian RZ, Zitnay J, Kazmers NH, Veerabhadraiah SR, Zelada AC, Honeggar M, Smith MC, Chalmers PN, Henninger HB, Jurynec MJ (2024). Tenascin C Deletion Impairs Tendon Healing and Functional Recovery After Rotator Cuff Repair. bioRxiv.
  11. Jurynec MJ, Nosyreva E, Thompson D, Munoz C, Novak KA, Matheson DJ, Kazmers NH, Syeda R (2024). PIEZO1 variants that reduce open channel probability are associated with familial osteoarthritis. bioRxiv.
  12. Liu H, Binoy A, Ren S, Martino TC, Miller AE, Willis CRG, Veerabhadraiah SR, Sukul A, Bons J, Rose JP, Schilling B, Jurynec MJ, Zhu S (2024). Sirt5 regulates chondrocyte metabolism and osteoarthritis development through protein lysine malonylation. bioRxiv.
  13. Tashjian RZ, Jurynec MJ, Christy K, Stevens J, Teerlink CC, Cannon-Albright L, Allen-Brady K (2024). Identification of rare genetic variants for rotator cuff tearing and repair in high-risk pedigrees. JSES Int, 8(4), 815-821.
  14. Tashjian RZ, Zitnay J, Kazmers NH, Veerabhadraiah SR, Zelada AC, Honeggar M, Chalmers PN, Henninger HB, Jurynec MJ (2023). Estrogen and testosterone supplementation improves tendon healing and functional recovery after rotator cuff repair. J Orthop Res, 42(2), 259-266.
  15. Styrkarsdottir U, Stefansdottir L, Thorleifsson G, Stefansson OA, Saevarsdottir S, Lund SH, Rafnar T, Hoshijima K, Novak K, Oreiro N, Rego-Perez I, Hansen C, Kazmers N, Kiemeney LA, Blanco FJ, Barker T, Kloppenburg M, Jurynec MJ, Gudbjartsson DF, Jonsson H, Thorsteinsdottir U, Stefansson K (2023). Meta-analysis of erosive hand osteoarthritis identifies four common variants that associate with relatively large effect. Ann Rheum Dis, 82(6), 873-880.
  16. Unnur Styrkarsdottir, Lilja Stefansdottir, Gudmar Thorleifsson, Olafur Andri Stefansson, Sigrun H Lund, Thorunn Rafnar, Kazuyuki Hoshijima, Kendra A Novak, Natividad Oreiro-Villar, Ignacio Rego-Perez, Channing Hansen, Nikolas H Kazmers, Lambertus A Kiemeney, Francisco J Blanco, Tyler Barker, Margreet Kloppenburg, Michael J Jurynec, Daniel F Gudjartsson, Helgi Jonsson, Unnur Thorsteinsdottir, Kari Stefansson (2023). Meta-analysis identifies sequence variants in ALDH1A2, MGP, SPP1 and BMP6 associated with erosive hand osteoarthritis. Ann Rheum Dis.
  17. Jurynec MJ, Gavile CM, Honeggar M, Ma Y, Veerabhadraiah SR, Novak KA, Hoshijima K, Kazmers NH, Grunwald DJ (2022). NOD/RIPK2 signalling pathway contributes to osteoarthritis susceptibility. Ann Rheum Dis, 81(10), 1465-1473.
  18. Gavile CM, Kazmers NH, Novak KA, Meeks HD, Yu Z, Thomas JL, Hansen C, Barker T, Jurynec MJ (2022). Familial Clustering and Genetic Analysis of Severe Thumb Carpometacarpal Joint Osteoarthritis in a Large Statewide Cohort. J Hand Surg Am, 47(10), 923-933.
  19. Tashjian RZ, Kazmers NH, Epperson RT, Honeggar M, Ma Y, Chalmers PN, Williams DL, Jurynec MJ (2021). The effect of estrogen-like compound on rotator cuff tendon healing in a murine model. J Orthop Res, 39(12), 2711-2724.
  20. Miller M, Kazmers NH, Chalmers PN, Tashjian RZ, Jurynec MJ (2021). Supraspinatus Rotator Cuff Repair: A Mouse Model and Technique. Arthrosc Tech, 10(8), e1949-e1954.
  21. Teerlink CC, Jurynec MJ, Hernandez R, Stevens J, Hughes DC, Brunker CP, Rowe K, Grunwald DJ, Facelli JC, Cannon-Albright LA (2020). A role for the MEGF6 gene in predisposition to osteoporosis. Ann Hum Genet, 85(2), 58-72.
  22. Kazmers NH, Meeks HD, Novak KA, Yu Z, Fulde GL, Thomas JL, Barker T, Jurynec MJ (2020). Familial clustering of erosive hand osteoarthritis in a large statewide cohort. Arthritis Rheumatol, 73(3), 440-447.
  23. Santoriello C, Sporrij A, Yang S, Flynn RA, Henriques T, Dorjsuren B, Custo Greig E, McCall W, Stanhope ME, Fazio M, Superdock M, Lichtig A, Adatto I, Abraham BJ, Kalocsay M, Jurynec M, Zhou Y, Adelman K, Calo E, Zon LI (2020). RNA helicase DDX21 mediates nucleotide stress responses in neural crest and melanoma cells. Nat Cell Biol, 22(4), 372-379.
  24. Kazmers NH, Yu Z, Barker T, Abraham T, Romero R, Jurynec MJ (2019). Evaluation for Kienböck Disease Familial Clustering: A Population-Based Cohort Study. J Hand Surg Am, 45(1), 1-8.e1.
  25. Jurynec MJ, Bai X, Bisgrove BW, Jackson H, Nechiporuk A, Palu RAS, Grunwald HA, Su YC, Hoshijima K, Yost HJ, Zon LI, Grunwald DJ (2019). The Paf1 complex and P-TEFb have reciprocal and antagonist roles in maintaining multipotent neural crest progenitors. Development, 146(24).
  26. Hoshijima K, Jurynec MJ, Klatt Shaw D, Jacobi AM, Behlke MA, Grunwald DJ (2019). Highly Efficient CRISPR-Cas9-Based Methods for Generating Deletion Mutations and F0 Embryos that Lack Gene Function in Zebrafish. Dev Cell, 51(5), 645-657.e4.
  27. Jurynec MJ, Sawitzke AD, Beals TC, Redd MJ, Stevens J, Otterud B, Leppert MF, Grunwald DJ (2018). A hyperactivating proinflammatory RIPK2 allele associated with early-onset osteoarthritis. Hum Mol Genet, 27(13), 2383-2391.
  28. Jurynec MJ, Sawitzke AD, Beals TC, Redd MJ, Stevens J, Otterud B, Leppert MF, Grunwald DJ (2018). A hyperactivating proinflammatory RIPK2 allele associated with early-onset osteoarthritis. Hum Mol Genet, 27(13), 2406.
  29. Klatt Shaw D, Gunther D, Jurynec MJ, Chagovetz AA, Ritchie E, Grunwald DJ (2018). Intracellular Calcium Mobilization Is Required for Sonic Hedgehog Signaling. Dev Cell, 45(4), 512-525.e5.
  30. Klatt Shaw D, Gunther D, Jurynec MJ, Chagovetz AA, Ritchie E, Grunwald DJ (10 May 2018). Intracellular Calcium Mobilization Is Required for Sonic Hedgehog Signaling. Dev Cell.
  31. Jurynec MJ, Sawitzke AD, Beals TC, Redd MJ, Stevens J, Otterud B, Leppert MH, Grunwald DJ (04/16/2018). A hyperactivating proinflammatory RIPK2 allele associated with early-onset osteoarthritis. Hum Mol Genet.
  32. Hoshijima K, Jurynec MJ, Grunwald DJ (2016). Precise Editing of the Zebrafish Genome Made Simple and Efficient. Dev Cell, 36(6), 654-67.
  33. Hoshijima K, Jurynec MJ, Grunwald DJ (2016). Precise genome editing by homologous recombination. Methods Cell Biol, 135, 121-47.
  34. Dahlem TJ, Hoshijima K, Jurynec MJ, Gunther D, Starker CG, Locke AS, Weis AM, Voytas DF, Grunwald DJ (2012). Simple methods for generating and detecting locus-specific mutations induced with TALENs in the zebrafish genome. PLoS Genet, 8(8), e1002861.
  35. Wythe JD, Jurynec MJ, Urness LD, Jones CA, Sabeh MK, Werdich AA, Sato M, Yost HJ, Grunwald DJ, Macrae CA, Li DY (2011). Hadp1, a newly identified pleckstrin homology domain protein, is required for cardiac contractility in zebrafish. Dis Model Mech, 4(5), 607-21.
  36. Jurynec MJ, Grunwald DJ (2010). SHIP2, a factor associated with diet-induced obesity and insulin sensitivity, attenuates FGF signaling in vivo. Dis Model Mech, 3(11-12), 733-42.
  37. Bai X, Kim J, Yang Z, Jurynec MJ, Akie TE, Lee J, LeBlanc J, Sessa A, Jiang H, DiBiase A, Zhou Y, Grunwald DJ, Lin S, Cantor AB, Orkin SH, Zon LI (2010). TIF1gamma controls erythroid cell fate by regulating transcription elongation. Cell, 142(1), 133-43.
  38. Jurynec MJ, Xia R, Mackrill JJ, Gunther D, Crawford T, Flanigan KM, Abramson JJ, Howard MT, Grunwald DJ (2008). Selenoprotein N is required for ryanodine receptor calcium release channel activity in human and zebrafish muscle. Proc Natl Acad Sci U S A, 105(34), 12485-90.
  39. Lamason RL, Mohideen MA, Mest JR, Wong AC, Norton HL, Aros MC, Jurynec MJ, Mao X, Humphreville VR, Humbert JE, Sinha S, Moore JL, Jagadeeswaran P, Zhao W, Ning G, Makalowska I, McKeigue PM, Odonnell D, Kittles R, Parra EJ, Mangini NJ, Grunwald DJ, Shriver MD, Canfield VA, Cheng KC (2005). SLC24A5, a putative cation exchanger, affects pigmentation in zebrafish and humans. Science, 310(5755), 1782-6.
  40. Hutson LD, Jurynec MJ, Yeo SY, Okamoto H, Chien CB (2003). Two divergent slit1 genes in zebrafish. Dev Dyn, 228(3), 358-69.
  41. Buck CR, Jurynec MJ, Gupta DK, Law AK, Bilger J, Wallace DC, McKeon RJ (2003). Increased adenine nucleotide translocator 1 in reactive astrocytes facilitates glutamate transport. Exp Neurol, 181(2), 149-58.
  42. Jurynec MJ, Riley CP, Gupta DK, Nguyen TD, McKeon RJ, Buck CR (2003). TIGR is upregulated in the chronic glial scar in response to central nervous system injury and inhibits neurite outgrowth. Mol Cell Neurosci, 23(1), 69-80.
  43. McKeon RJ, Jurynec MJ, Buck CR (1999). The chondroitin sulfate proteoglycans neurocan and phosphacan are expressed by reactive astrocytes in the chronic CNS glial scar. J Neurosci, 19(24), 10778-88.

Review

  1. Davies M, Jurynec MJ, Gomez-Alvarado F, Hu D, Feeley SE, Allen-Brady K, Tashjian RZ, Feeley BT (2022). Current cellular and molecular biology techniques for the orthopedic surgeon-scientist. [Review]. J Shoulder Elbow Surg, 32(1), e11-e22.
  2. Kim JS, Amendola A, Barg A, Baumhauer J, Brodsky JW, Cushman DM, Gonzalez TA, Janisse D, Jurynec MJ, Lawrence Marsh J, Sofka CM, Clanton TO, Anderson DD (2022). Summary Report of the Arthritis Foundation and the American Orthopaedic Foot & Ankle Society's Symposium on Targets for Osteoarthritis Research: Part 1: Epidemiology, Pathophysiology, and Current Imaging Approaches. [Review]. Foot Ankle Orthop, 7(4), 24730114221127011.
  3. Kim JS, Amendola A, Barg A, Baumhauer J, Brodsky JW, Cushman DM, Gonzalez TA, Janisse D, Jurynec MJ, Lawrence Marsh J, Sofka CM, Clanton TO, Anderson DD (2022). Summary Report of the Arthritis Foundation and the American Orthopaedic Foot & Ankle Society's Symposium on Targets for Osteoarthritis Research: Part 2: Treatment Options. [Review]. Foot Ankle Orthop, 7(4), 24730114221127013.