The Department of Biochemistry Faculty and Their Research.

See also:

There are currently 21 faculty members with primary appointments in the Department of Biochemistry and membership in the Graduate Faculty. There are seven faculty members with primary appointments in other departments who are cross-appointed in Biochemistry and who are members of the Graduate Faculty.

Faculty members may be contacted by mail at:

Department of Biochemistry
MSC 7760
University of Texas Health Science Center at San Antonio
7760 Floyd Curl Drive
San Antonio, Texas 78229-3900


or by telephone or e-mail as indicated below.

See Pubmed link for publications as of 11/2007


Martin L. Adamo,
Professor and Director M.D./Phd. Program; Ph.D., University of Houston, 1986.
Telephone: (210) 567-3742 E-mail: adamo@uthscsa.edu
Regulation of insulin-like growth factor expression and signaling throughout the lifespan.
Selected publications:
  • Wang, X. and Adamo, M.L. "Regulation of insulin-like growth factor-I gene expression." In: Insulin-Like Growth Factors. LeRoith, D., Zumkeller, W., Baxter, R. eds. Eurekah.com/Landes Bioscience, Georgetown, TX and Lluwer Academic/Plenum New York, NY; pp. 64-90 (2003)
  • Richardson, A. et al. "The role of insulin and insulin-like growth factor-I in mammalian ageing." Best Pract. Res. Clin. Endocrinol. Metab. 18: 393-406 (2004).


Pubmed listing for Martin L. Adamo

Sunil K. Ahuja,
Professor (Primary appointment in the Department of Medicine, Division of Infectious Diseases), M.D. 
Telephone: (210) 567-6511, FAX: (210) 567-4654, E-mail: ahujas@uthscsa.edu
Role of the chemokine system and other immune molecules in HIV-1 pathogenesis, molecular mechanisms that control the gene expression of CCR5, a key HIV-1 co receptor.
Selected publications:
  • Mummidi S, Bamshad M, Ahuja SS, Gonzalez E, Feuillet PM, Begum K, Galvis MC, Kostecki V, Valente AJ, Murthy KK, Haro L, Dolan MJ, Allan JS, Ahuja SK. Evolution of human and non-human primate CC chemokine receptor 5 gene and mRNA. Potential roles for haplotype and mRNA diversity, differential haplotype-specific transcriptional activity, and altered transcription factor binding to polymorphic nucleotides in the pathogenesis of HIV-1 and simian immunodeficiency virus. J Biol Chem. 2000 Jun 23;275(25):18946-61.
  • Gonzalez E, Bamshad M, Sato N, Mummidi S, Dhanda R, Catano G, Cabrera S, McBride M, Cao XH, Merrill G, O'Connell P, Bowden DW, Freedman BI, Anderson SA, Walter EA, Evans JS, Stephan KT, Clark RA, Tyagi S, Ahuja SS, Dolan MJ, Ahuja SK. Race-specific HIV-1 disease-modifying effects associated with CCR5 haplotypes. Proc Natl Acad Sci U S A. 1999 Oct 12;96(21):12004-9.
  • Ahuja SS, Mummidi S, Malech HL, Ahuja SK. Human dendritic cell (DC)-based anti-infective therapy: engineering DCs to secrete functional IFN-gamma and IL-12. J Immunol. 1998 Jul 15;161(2):868-76. 


Pubmed listing for Sunil K. Ahuja

Ricardo C.T. Aguiar,
Assistant Professor (Primary appointment in Dept. of Medicine); M.D.,Federal University of Paraiba, Brazil, 1987; Ph.D., Univ. of Sao Paulo, Brazil, 1994 
Telephone: (210) 567-4848 E-mail: aguiarr@uthscsa.edu
Molecular pathogenesis of hematological malignancies: basis for the rational design of targeted therapeutics; Intersection of the cAMP signals with survival pathways in normal and malignant B-lymphocytes.

Selected Publications

  • Wilkinson, K. et al. "Cloning of the t(1;5)(q23;q33) in a Myeloproliferative Disorder associated with Eosinophilia: Involvement of PDGFRB and Response to Imatinib." Blood 102,4187-4190 (2003). 
  • Smith, P. et al. "The Phosphodiesterase PDE4B Limits cAMP Associated, PI3K-AKT Dependent, Apoptosis in Diffuse Large B-cell Lymhoma." Blood, 105,308-316 (2005)


Pubmed listing for Ricardo CT Aguiar
Reto Asmis, Associate Professor, Directory of Research Development, Office of the Dean, School of Allied Health; Ph.D., University of Fribourg, Switzerland, 1989.
Telephone: (210) 567-2720, FAX:(210)567-2709 , E-mail: asmis@uthscsa.edu.
Role of thiol oxidative stress in macrophage dysfunction associated with cardiovascular disease, inflammation and impaired wound healing.
Selected Publications:
  • Qiao, M., Kisgati, M., Cholewa, J.M., Zhu, W., Smart, E.J., Sulistio, M. and Asmis, R. Increased expression of cytosolic and mitochondrial glutathione reductase in macrophages inhibits atherosclerotic lesion development in LDL receptor-deficient mice. Arterioscler.Thromb.Vasc.Biol. (2007).
  • Wang, Y., Qiao, M., Mieyal, J.J., Asmis, L.M. and Asmis, R. Molecular mechanism of glutathione-mediated protection from oxidized LDL-induced cell injury in human macrophages: Role of glutathione reductase and glutaredoxin. Free Radic.Biol.Med. 41, 775-785 (2006).
  • Asmis, R. Wang, Y., Xu, L., Kisgati, M., Begley, J.G. and Mieyal, J.J. A Novel Thiol Oxidation-Based Mechanism for Adriamycin-Induced Cell Injury in Human Macrophages. FASEB J. 13, 1866-8 (2005).


Pubmed listing for Reto Asmis
Larry D. Barnes, Professor and Associate Dean for Graduate School of Biomedical Sciences; Ph.D., UCLA, 1970.
Telephone: (210) 567-3730 E-mail: barnesl@uthscsa.edu www: http://www.biochem.uthscsa.edu/~barnes
The role of diadenosine oligophosphates in cellular regulation in budding and fission yeasts; Fhit tumor suppressor; enzymology.

Selected Publications

  • Pekarsky Y, Garrison PN, Palamarchuk A, Zanesi N, Aqeilan RI, Huebner K, Barnes LD, Croce CM.

    • Fhit is a physiological target of the protein kinase Src.
    Proc Natl Acad Sci U S A. 2004 Mar 16;101(11):3775-9.
  • Garrison PN, Robinson AK, Pekarsky Y, Croce CM, Barnes LD.

    • Phosphorylation of the human Fhit tumor suppressor on tyrosine 114 in Escherichia coli and unexpected steady state kinetics of the phosphorylated forms.
    Biochemistry. 2005 Apr 26;44(16):6286-92. 
  • Semba, S., Trapasso, F., Fabbri, M., McCorkell, K. A., Volinia, S., Druck, T., Iliopoulos, D., Pekarsky, Y., Ishii, H., Garrison, P. N., Barnes, L. D., Croce, C. M., and Huebner, K. Fhit modulation of the Akt-survivin pathway in lung cancer cells: Fhit-tyrosine 114 (Y114) is essential. Oncogene, in press 


Pubmed listing for Larry D. Barnes
Borries Demeler, Associate Professor, Ph.D; Oregon State University, Corvallis, 1992.
Telephone: (210) 567-6592 E-mail: demeler@biochem.uthscsa.edu www: http://www.demeler.uthscsa.edu
Development of the UltraScan data analysis software package. Modeling of hydrodynamic and thermodynamic properties of biological macromolecules; high-performance network computing and cluster computing; analytical ultracentrifugation of macromolecular assemblies.

Selected Publications


Publication list from Dr. Demeler's web page
Stephen C. Hardies, Associate Professor; Ph.D., University of Wisconsin, Madison, 1979.
Telephone: (210) 567-3735 E-mail: hardies@uthscsa.edu www: http://biochem.uthscsa.edu/~hs_lab
Bioinformatics, Molecular Evolution of bacteriophages and transposable elements.

Selected Publications


PubMed listing for Stephen C. Hardies.
P. John Hart, Professor and Director of Molecular Biophysics and Biochemistry; Ph.D., University of Texas, Austin, 1993.
Telephone: (210) 567-0751 E-mail: pjhart@biochem.uthscsa.edu  www: http://hartlab.uthscsa.edu
Metalloprotein structure, action, and redesign; role of copper-zinc superoxide dismutase in Lou Gehrigs disease, structural biology of metal trafficking; blue copper proteins; protein crystallography.

Selected Publications

  • Amyloid-like filaments and water-filled nanotubes formed by SOD1 mutants linked to familial ALS.  Elam, J.S. et al. Nat. Struct. Biol.10, 461-467 (2003). 
  • An alternative mechanism of bicarbonate-mediated peroxidation by copper-zinc superoxide dismutase.  Elam, J.S. et al. J. Biol. Chem.278, 21032-21039 (2003). 
  • Structure of Mycobacterium tuberculosis methionine sulfoxide reductase A in complex with protein-bound methionine.  Taylor, A.B. et al. J. Bacteriol.185, 4119-4126 (2003).


    • Taylor AB, Stoj CS, Ziegler L, Kosman DJ, Hart PJ.
    The copper-iron connection in biology: structure of the metallo-oxidase Fet3p.
    Proc Natl Acad Sci U S A. 2005 Oct 25;102(43):15459-64.


PubMed listing for P. John Hart.
Andrew P. Hinck, Professor; Ph.D., University of Wisconsin, Madison, 1993.
Telephone: (210) 567-8780 E-mail: hinck@uthscsa.edu www: http://hincklab.uthscsa.edu
Solution NMR spectroscopy of proteins and nucleic acids; transforming growth factor b and its interaction with the ligand binding domain of the TGF-b type I and type II receptors; protein-RNA interactions.

Selected Publications


PubMed listing for Andrew P. Hinck.
Jean X. Jiang, Professor; Ph.D., State University of New York at Stony Brook, 1991.
Telephone: (210) 567-3796 E-mail: jiangj@uthscsa.edu www: http://www.biochem.uthscsa.edu/~jiang
Gap junction mediated cell-to-cell communication and intercellular signaling mechanisms. Molecular characterization of amino acid transporters.

Selected Publications

PubMed listing for Jean X. Jiang.
Chongwoo A. Kim. Assistant Professor; Ph.D., Johns Hopkins University, 1996.
Telephone: (210)567-8779 E-mail: chong@biochem.uthscsa.edu
Structure-function of polycomb group proteins.
Selected Publications:


PubMed listing for Chongwoo A. Kim.
Eileen M. Lafer, Professor; Ph.D., Tuft University, 1983.
Telephone: (210) 567-3764 E-mail: lafer@uthscsa.edu www: http://www.biochem.uthscsa.edu/~lafer
Molecular mechanisms of synaptic vesicle endocytosis, and the regulation of coated vesicle dynamics.

Selected Publications

PubMed listing for Eileen M. Lafer.
John C. Lee, Professor; Ph.D., Purdue University, 1966.
Telephone: (210) 567-3777 E-mail: jclee@biochem.uthscsa.edu www: http://www.biochem.uthscsa.edu/~jclee
Structure, function, and regulation of assembly RNA-protein complexes; regulation of mammalian gene expression by members of the bone morphogenetic protein family.

Selected Publications

  • Osteogenic protein-1 and interleukin-6 with its soluble receptor synergistically stimulate rat osteoblastic cell differentiation. L-C.C.Yeh, et al. J. Cell. Physiol. 190, 322-331 (2002). 
  • Differential effects of osteogenic protein-1 (BMP-7) on gene expression of BMP and GDF family members during differentiation of the mouse MC615 chondrocyte cells. L-C.C.Yeh, et al. J. Cell. Physiol. 191, 298-309 (2002).
  • Yeh LC, Zavala MC, Lee JC.

    • C-type natriuretic peptide enhances osteogenic protein-1-induced osteoblastic cell differentiation via Smad5 phosphorylation.
    J Cell Biochem. 2005 Sep 26; [Epub ahead of print]


PubMed listing for John C. Lee.
Feng Liu, Professor (Primary appointment in the Department of Pharmacology); Ph.D., Iowa State University, 1990.
Telephone: (210) 567-3097 E-mail: liuf@uthscsa.edu
Receptor tyrosine kinase signal transduction and regulation. Structure and function studies of protein kinases and signaling molecules.

Selected Publications

  • Dong LQ, Liu F. PDK2: the missing piece in the receptor tyrosine kinase signaling pathway puzzle. Am J Physiol Endocrinol Metab. 2005 Aug;289(2):E187-96. Review. 
  • Kikani CK, Dong LQ, Liu F. "New"-clear functions of PDK1: Beyond a master kinase? J Cell Biochem. 2005 Dec 15;96(6):1157-62. 
  • Langlais P, Wang C, Dong LQ, Carroll CA, Weintraub ST, Liu F. Phosphorylation of Grb10 by mitogen-activated protein kinase: identification of Ser150 and Ser476 of human Grb10zeta as major phosphorylation sites. Biochemistry. 2005 Jun 21;44(24):8890-7. 


PubMed listing for Feng Liu (UTHSCSA publications).
Philip T. LoVerde, Professor; Ph.D., University of Michigan, 1976
Telephone: (210) 567-3772 E-mail: loverde@uthscsa.edu
Molecular, Genetic and Immunological Investigation of the human blood fluke, Schistosoma mansoni. The overall focus in the lab is to understand the role genes and gene products play in schistosome-host interactions.

Selected Publications

  • Osman, A., Niles, E.G., Verjovski-Almeida, S., LoVerde, P.T. Schistosoma mansoni type II TGF-beta receptor mediates a signal that is involved in host ligand-induced regulation of a schistosome target gene. PloSPathogen, PLoS Pathog 2(6): e54, 2006. Provided picture for cover of June issue
  • Wu, W., Niles, E. G., Hirai, H., and LoVerde, P. T. Evolution of a Novel Family of Nuclear Receptors With Members That Contain Two DNA Binding Domains. BMC Evol Biol, 7:27 doi:10.1186/1471-2148-7-27, 2007.
  • LoVerde, P.T., Osman, A. and Hinck, A.P. Schistosoma mansoni: TGF-beta Signaling Pathways, Exp. Parasitol., 117:304-317, 2007.
  • Fantappié, M.R., Bastos de Oliveira, F.M., Maciel, R.M., Costa, R.M., Wu, W., Rumjanek, F.D. and LoVerde, P.T. Functional characterization of Schistosoma mansoni SmRXR1/SmNR1 interaction with coactivators. Int J Parasitol, in press, 2008.
Richard F. Ludueña, Professor; Ph.D., Stanford University, 1973.
Telephone: (210) 567-3732 E-mail: luduena@uthscsa.edu
Structure of tubulin; biochemistry of microtubules; tubulin isotypes, mechanism of action of anti-tumor drugs.

Selected Publications

  • Interaction of the bIV-tubulin isotype with actin stress fibers in cultured rat kidney mesangial cells C. Walss-Bass, et al. Cell Motil. Cytoskeleton 49, 200-207 (2001). 
  • Detection of disulfide bonds in bovine brain tubulin and their role in protein folding and microtubule assembly in vitro: a novel disulfide detection approach. A.R. Chaudhuri et al. Biochemistry 40, 8834-8841 (2001).


    • Vent J, Wyatt TA, Smith DD, Banerjee A, Luduena RF, Sisson JH, Hallworth R.
    Direct involvement of the isotype-specific C-terminus of beta tubulin in ciliary beating.
    J Cell Sci. 2005 Oct 1;118(Pt 19):4333-41.


PubMed listing for Richard F. Ludueña.
Bettie Sue Siler Masters, The Robert A. Welch Professor in Chemistry; Ph.D., Duke University, 1963; D.Sc. (Hon.) Roanoke College, 1983; M.D. (Hon.) Charles University, Prague, Czech Republic, 2005.
Telephone: (210) 567-6627 E-mail: masters@uthscsa.edu, www: http://biochem.uthscsa.edu/~masters

Structure-function studies of FAD- and FMN-containing enzymes, specifically NADPH-cytochrome P450 reductase (CYPOR) and the three isoforms of nitric oxide synthase: neuronal (nNOS), endothelial (eNOS), and inducible (iNOS). Studies include various biophysical techniques, including rapid reaction kinetics, EPR, ENDOR, NMR, and X-ray crystallography with a cadre of expert collaborators. X-ray structures have been determined for P450 reductase and the heme domains of endothelial and neuronal NOS. Recently, the laboratory has embarked on studies of human polymorphisms of CYPOR in which molecular and cellular consequences of these mutations are being explored.

Selected Publications


PubMed listing for Bettie Sue Siler Masters.
Lee McAlister-Henn, Professor; Ph.D., UT Southwestern Medical Center, 1980.
Telephone: (210) 567-3782 E-mail: henn@uthscsa.edu
Molecular genetic analysis of central metabolic pathways in eucaryotic cells.
Selected Publications:
  • Lin AP, McAlister-Henn L. Homologous binding sites in yeast isocitrate dehydrogenase for cofactor (NAD+) and allosteric activator (AMP). J Biol Chem. 278:12864-72. (2003)
  • Gibson N, McAlister-Henn L. Physical and genetic interactions of cytosolic malate dehydrogenase with other gluconeogenic enzymes. J Biol Chem. 278:25628-36. (2003) 
  • Minard KI, McAlister-Henn L.

    • Sources of NADPH in yeast vary with carbon source.
    J Biol Chem. 2005 Sep 22;[Epub ahead of print]


PubMed listing for Lee McAlister-Henn.
Don G. McEwen, Assistant Professor; Ph.D., Washington University, 1998 
Telephone: (210) 562-9064 E-mail: McEwen@uthscsa.edu
Member of the Children's Cancer Research Instutite, WWW: http://mcewenlab.uthscsa.edu.
Genetic and biochemical approaches to signaling pathways.

Selected Publications

  • Fibroblast Growth Factor Receptor 3 Gene: Regulation by Serum Response Factor. Reinhold , M. I., McEwen, D.G., Ornitz , D. M., and Michael C. Naski. (2004) Mol. Endocrinology 18: 241-251.
  • Drosophila APC2 and Armadillo participate in tethering mitotic spindles to cortical actin. McCartney, B.M., McEwen, D. G. , Grevengoed, E., Maddox, P., Bejsovec, A., and M. Peifer. (2001) Nature Cell Biology 3: 933-8. 
PubMed listing for Don G. McEwen.
Michael C. Naski, Assistant Professor (Primary appointment in the Department of Pathology); M.D., Ph.D., University of Michigan, 1991.
Telephone: (210) 567-4126 E-mail: naski@uthscsa.edu
Genetic and biochemical control of skeletal development. Transgenic and knockout mouse models for the regulation of bone and cartilage. Transcriptional control of aggrecan gene expression by calcium and growth factor signaling pathways.

Selected Publications

  • Fibroblast growth factor receptor 3 gene transcription is suppressed by cyclic adenosine 3',5'-monophosphate. Identification of a chondrocytic regualtory element. D.G. McEwen, et al. J. Biol Chem. 274, 30934-30942 (1999). 
  • Expression of FGFR3 with the G380R achondroplasia mutation inhibits proliferation and maturation of CFK2 chondrocytic cells. J.E. Henderson, et al. J. Bone Miner. Res. 15, 155-165 (2000).
  • Reinhold MI, Kapadia RM, Liao Z, Naski MC.

    • The Wnt-inducible transcription factor twist1 inhibits chondrogenesis.
    J Biol Chem. 2005 Nov 17; [Epub ahead of print]
    PMID: 16293629 [PubMed - as supplied by publisher]


PubMed listing for Michael C. Naski.
Bruce J. Nicholson,Professor and Chair; 
Ph.D., California Institute of Technology, 1983.
Telephone: (210)567-3772 E-mail:nicholsonb@uthscsa.edu
Structure and function of gap junctions; connexins; gap junctions as tumor suppressors.

For more information see Bruce J. Nicholson's home page at UTHSCSA

Selected Publications


PubMed listing for Bruce J. Nicholson.
Merle S. Olson,Professor and Dean; Ph.D., University of Minnesota, 1966.
Telephone: (210)567-3709 E-mail: olsonm@uthscsa.edu
Inter- and intracellular signaling mechanisms; mechanisms of action of lipid and peptide mediators.

Selected Publications

  • Bone morphogentic protein-9: an autocrine/paracrine cytokine in the liver. A.F. Miller, et al. J. Biol. Chem. 275, 17937-17945 (2000). 
  • The expression and localization of plasma platelet-activating factor acetylhydrolase in endotoxemic rats. K.M. Howard and M.S. Olson. J. Biol. Chem. 275, 19891-19896 (2000).
  • Holstein DM, Berg KA, Leeb-Lundberg LM, Olson MS, Saunders C.

    • Calcium-sensing receptor-mediated ERK1/2 activation requires Galphai2 coupling and dynamin-independent receptor internalization.
    J Biol Chem. 2004 Mar 12;279(11):10060-9.


PubMed listing for Merle S. Olson (UTHSCSA publications).
Neal C. Robinson, Professor; Ph.D., University of Washington, 1971.
Telephone: (210) 567-3754 E-mail: robinson@uthscsa.edu
Structure-function relationships within mitochondrial electron transport complexes, particularly: 1) the role of cardiolipin and the nuclearly encoded subunits, and 2) the molecular basis for oxidative damage.

Selected Publications

  • Cholate induced dimerization of detergent- or phospholipid-solubilized bovine heart cytochrome c oxidase. A. Musatov and N.C. Robinson. Biochemistry 41, 4371-4376 (2002). 
  • Identification of bovine heart cytochrome c oxidase subunits modified by the lipid peroxidation product 4-hydroxy-2-nonenal. A. Musatov, et al. Biochemistry 41, 8212-8220 (2002).
  • Musatov A, Hebert E, Carroll CA, Weintraub ST, Robinson NC.

    • Specific modification of two tryptophans within the nuclear-encoded subunits of bovine cytochrome c oxidase by hydrogen peroxide.
    Biochemistry. 2004 Feb 3;43(4):1003-9.


PubMed listings for Neal C. Robinson.
Brad S. Rothberg,  Assistant Professor (Primary appointment in the Dept. of Physiology); Ph.D., Univ. of Florida, 1994
Telephone: (210) 567-4342 E-mail: rothberg@uthscsa.edu www: http://physiology.uthscsa.edu/Faculty/rothberg.html
Molecular mechanism of ion channels; Ca+2-activated K+ channels.

Selected Publications


PubMed listing for Brad S. Rothberg.
Philip Serwer, Professor; Ph.D., Harvard, 1973.
Telephone: (210) 567-3765 E-mail: serwer@uthscsa.edu www: http://www.serwer.uthscsa.edu
Complex DNA metabolism at the level of single molecules; informatics of the genomics of viruses.

Selected Publications

  • Fluorescence microscopy of single viral capsids. S. Huang et al. J. Struct. Biol. 135, 270-280 (2001). 
  • Partially condensed DNA conformations observed by single molecule fluorescence microscopy. P. Serwer and S.J. Hayes. Biophys. J. 81, 3398-3408 (2001).
  • Griess GA, Hardies SC, Serwer P.

    • Matrix conditioning for lengthened capillary DNA sequencing.
    Electrophoresis. 2005 Jan;26(1):102-11.
  • Serwer P, Hayes SJ, Zaman S, Lieman K, Rolando M, Hardies SC.

    • Improved isolation of undersampled bacteriophages: finding of distant terminase genes.
    Virology. 2004 Nov 24;329(2):412-24.


PubMed listing for Philip Serwer.
Yuzuru Shiio, Assistant Professor; M.D. Univ. of Tokyo, 1989; Ph.D. Univ. of Tokyo, 1993.
Member of the Childern's Cancer Research Instutite.
Telephone: 210-562-9089; e-mail: shiio@uthscsa.edu
Quantitative Proteomic Analysis of Proteins Important in Cancer.
Selected Publications
  • Shiio, Y., Rose, D.W., Aur, R., Donohoe, S., Aebersold, R., and Eisenman, R.N. (2005). Identification and characterization of SAP25, a novel component of the mSin3 corepressor complex. Molecular and Cellular Biology, in press.
  • Shiio Y, Suh KS, Lee H, Yuspa SH, Eisenman RN, Aebersold R. Quantitative proteomic analysis of Myc-induced apoptosis: A direct role for Myc induction of the mitochondrial chloride ion channel, mtCLIC/CLIC4. J Biol Chem. 2005 Nov 29; [Epub ahead of print] 
  • Shiio Y, Donohoe S, Yi EC, Goodlett DR, Aebersold R, Eisenman RN. Quantitative proteomic analysis of Myc oncoprotein function. EMBO J. 2002 Oct 1;21(19):5088-96. 


PubMed listing for Yuzuru Shiio.
Rui J. Sousa, Professor; Ph.D., University of Pittsburgh, 1991.
Telephone: (210) 567-8782 E-mail: sousa@biochem.uthscsa.edu
Conformational mechanisms and dynamics of transcription.
Selected Publications
  • T7 promoter release mediated by DNA scrunching. L.G. Brieba and R. Sousa. EMBO J. 20, 6826-6835 (2001). 
  • Structural transitions mediating transcription initiation by T7 RNA polymerase. S. Muhkerjee, et al. Cell 110, 81-91 (2002).


    • Guo Q, Nayak D, Brieba LG, Sousa R.
    Major conformational changes during T7RNAP transcription initiation coincide with, and are required for, promoter release.
    J Mol Biol. 2005 Oct 21;353(2):256-70. 


PubMed listing for Rui J. Sousa.
Bjorn Steffensen, Professor and Associate Dean for Research (Dental School); D.D.S., The Royal Dental College of Copenhagen, 1978, Ph.D., University of British Columbia, 1997 (Primary appointment in the Department of Periodontics).
Telephone: (210) 567-3564 E-mail: steffensenb@uthscsa.edu, www: http://www.steffensen.uthscsa.edu
Molecular and structural basis for interactions of matrix metalloproteinases and extracellular matrix molecules in health and disease.

Selected Publications


PubMed listing for Bjorn Steffensen.
Manjeri A. Venkatachalam, Professor (Primary appointment in the Department of Pathology); M.B., B.S., Calcutta Medical College and Calcutta University, 1962.
Telephone: (210) 567-4108 E-mail: venkatachal@uthscsa.edu
Molecular pathology of cell death, signal transduction pathways in cell survival, acute renal failure.

Selected Publications

  • Up-regulation of apoptosis inhibitory protein IAP-2 by hypoxia: HIF-l independent mechanisms. Z. Dong, et al.J. Biol. Chem. 276, 18702-18709 (2001). 
  • Gene promoter of apoptosis inhibitory protein IAP2: identification of enhancer elements and activation by severe hypoxia. Z. Dong, et al. Biochem. J. 364, 413-421 (2002).


PubMed listing for Manjeri A. Venkatachalam.
Susan T. Weintraub, Professor; Ph.D., The University of Texas Health Science Center at San Antonio, 1979.
Telephone: (210) 567-4043 E-mail: weintraub@uthscsa.edu
Biomedical applications of mass spectrometry; characterization of proteins and peptides by mass spectrometry.

Selected Publications

  • Mass spectrometric analysis of platelet-activating factor after isolation by solid-phase extraction and direct derivatization with pentafluorobenzoic anhydride. S.T. Weintraub, et al. J. Amer. Soc. Mass Spect. 11, 176-181 (2000). 
  • Identification of bovine heart cytochrome c oxidase subunits modified by the lipid peroxidation product 4-hydroxy-2-nonenal. A. Musatov, et al. Biochemistry 41, 8212-8220 (2002).
  • Langlais P, Wang C, Dong LQ, Carroll CA, Weintraub ST, Liu F.

    • Phosphorylation of Grb10 by mitogen-activated protein kinase: identification of Ser150 and Ser476 of human Grb10zeta as major phosphorylation sites.
    Biochemistry. 2005 Jun 21;44(24):8890-7.


PubMed listing for Susan T. Weintraub.
Jens Wöhnert, Assistant Professor; Ph.D., Institute of Molecular Biotechnology, Friedrich-Schiller-University, Jena, Germany, 2001.
Telephone: (210) 567-3743 E-mail: jewoe@biochem.uthscsa.edu
Structural biology, RNA structure and function, RNA-protein interactions, RNA-ligand interactions, NMR-spectroscopy.

Selected Publications


Lecture materials for BIOC 6035: Biochemistry of multimolecular complexes lecture 1.
Lecture 2.
Lecture 3.
Lecture 4.
PubMed listing for Jens Wohnert.


last update: 11/12/2007; See pubmed links for most recent publications.