| Dalton, Stephen | E-mail: sdalton@uga.edu | | For further information go to www.daltonlab.uga.edu and www.sestemcells.uga.edu
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Our work focuses on the generation of therapeutically useful cell types that can be used to treat cardiovascular disease, diabetes, stroke, autoimmune disease, spinal cord injury and neurological diseases. | | Keywords: stem cells,
cell therapy,
diabetes,
cardiovascular disease,
developmental biology.
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| Pierce, Michael | E-mail: hawkeye@uga.edu | | Our research focuses on the function of glycoconjugates in the regulation of cell adhesion. 1) investigation of the mechanism how glycosyltransferases and oligosaccharide expression regulate cell adhesion, migration, and invasiveness; 2) structure and function of the glycosyltransferase GlcNAc-T V to develop an inhibitor as a cancer therapeutic; 3) identification of glycoprotein glycoforms diagnostic for carcinomas; 4) function of a novel endothelial cell lectin, most likely in pathogen surveillance; 5) structural determination of a new family of animal and fungal lectins, the X-type lectins; 6) functions of lectins in animal development and as ligands for BT toxins. | | Keywords: Glycosyltransferase regulation of tumor cell adhesion and invasion; structure/function of lectins |
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| Przybyla, Alan | E-mail: przybyla@bmb.uga.edu | | | Keywords: Our laboratory employs recombinant technology to investigate the role of beta amyloid peptide fibrilization in the onset of Alzheimer |
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| Puett, David | E-mail: puett@bmb.uga.edu | | The current research interests of the Puett lab encompass two major interrelated areas: (1) molecular and cellular biochemical endocrinology of the glycoprotein hormones and their G protein-coupled receptors (GPCRs), and (2) cancer biology and detection.
(1) Molecular and cellular biochemical endocrinology: Research in this area represents a long-standing major focus of the laboratory. Current research is concentrated on: (a) the family of homologous, heterodimeric glycoprotein hormones, composed of LH (luteinizing hormone), FSH (follicle-stimulating hormone), TSH (thyroid-stimulating hormone), and hCG (human chorionic gonadotropin; (b) their cognate GPCRs, members of the largest gene family in the human genome; and (c) the G proteins activated by these receptors, notably Gs. These ligand-receptor-downstream signaling systems regulate the reproductive axis and basal metabolic rate in humans and other animals. The major goals of this project are to elucidate structure-function relationships of the ligands, receptors, and G proteins, including the molecular aspects of ligand-receptor interaction, followed by transmembrane and intracellular signaling leading to biological responses. The experimental approaches include site-directed mutagenesis of the glycoprotein hormones and their receptors, protein engineering, biophysical studies, molecular modeling, and elucidation of cellular signaling pathways mediated by constitutively active and ligand-activated gonadotropin receptor.
(2) Cancer biology and detection:
One of the GPCRs mentioned above, the LH receptor, is expressed in a number of ovarian cancers and believed to influence properties of the tumor. This lab is studying the consequences of ligand-mediated LH receptor expression in cultured human ovarian cancer cells. Approaches include investigations on hormone binding, signaling, gene expression, protein expression, and the effects of receptor activation on cell migration, invasiveness, and metastatic potential. Another study, in collaboration with Prof. Ying Xu, involves gene expression and proteomics on a variety of cancers. The overall aims of these studies are to better understand the expression profiles of different cancers and to seek cancer markers. | | Keywords: Molecular & cellular reproductive biochemical endocrinology, G protein-coupled receptors, tumor biology and early cancer detection |
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| Steet, Richard | E-mail: rsteet@ccrc.uga.edu | | Our laboratory utilizes multiple model systems including zebrafish to study the developmental consequences of impaired lysosomal catabolism of glycoproteins. We are focused on understanding how the mislocalization and inappropriate activity of specific enzymes impacts the normal development and function of several tissues including cartilage. | | Keywords: Pathogenic mechanisms of lysosomal storage disorders, Golgi trafficking, cartilage biology. |
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| Tiemeyer, Michael | E-mail: mtiemeyer@ccrc.uga.edu | | Specific cell surface oligosaccharides function as identity tags, allowing cells to appropriately interact with each other and with their environment. We utilize genetic, molecular, and chemical techniques in vertebrate (mouse) and insect (Drosophila) model systems to study two aspects of carbohydrate expression: 1) the influence of cell surface carbohydrates on development of the nervous system, 2) mechanisms that control tissue- and stage-specific oligosaccharide expression. Our results have implications for facilitating regeneration of axon pathways in the nervous system, for understanding innate immunity and tissue surveillance, and for controlling the cellular changes that precede tumor metastasis. | | Keywords: Mechanisms that regulate the expression, function, and structure of tissue-specific glycans |
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| Wang, Lianchun | E-mail: lwang@ccrc.uga.edu | | Research in the Wang laboratory focuses on the structure and function of heparan sulfate proteoglycans in vasculature and cancer biology. Heparan sulfate proteoglycans are glycoconjugates which are abundant on the cell surface and in the extracellular matrix. In vitro studies have suggested that heparan sulfate proteoglycans interact with growth factors, growth factor binding proteins, extracellular proteases, protease inhibitors, chemokines, morphogens, and cell adhesive proteins to modulate cell differentiation, proliferation, migration, blood coagulation, lipid metabolism, and leukocyte trafficking. However, the biological and pathological functions of heparan sulfate proteoglycans in vivo are still largely unknown. Using techniques, including conditional mouse gene targeting, embryonic stem (ES) cell differentiation, primary cell culture, and mouse models, the Wang lab is aiming to understand the roles and the underlying mechanisms of heparan sulfate proteoglycan in vascular development, cancer biology and blood coagulation in vivo, and to develop novel approaches to cure the related pathological conditions. | | Keywords: Heparan sulfate proteoglycan, angiogenesis, tumorigenesis, tumor metastasis, stem cell, coagulation |
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| Wells, Lance | E-mail: lwells@ccrc.uga.edu | | Our laboratory is interested in how post-translational modifications of proteins increase functional diversity. Primarily, we are interested in glycosylation, with a focus on 1. O-GlcNAc in Type II diabetes and stem cell biology , 2. O-Mannosylation in Congenital Muscular Dystrophy and viral entry into host cells, 3. Glycoproteins as biomarkers in human disease, specifically pancreatic cancer and metabolic syndrome, 4. Development of technology-based approaches, primarily mass-spectrometry, for quantitive proteomics/glycomics/glycoproteomics. | | Keywords: O-glycoslyation, type II diabetes, congenital muscular dystrophy, cancer, glyco/proteomics. |
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