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Charles Cunningham, Ph.D.
Assistant Professor, Department of
Biology
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Research:
A
common feature of the genes described within many invertebrate databases is
their lack of apparent homology with those of vertebrates. This makes even a
tentative annotation of gene function almost impossible. My laboratory uses transcriptomics and proteomics to understand the
molecular mechanisms that underpin the response of two very different invertebrate
species to stress; the oyster Crassostrea virginica and the human trematode
parasite Schistosoma mansoni. This
stress can be caused by infection (immune stress), temperature or pH
(environmental stress) and in the case of S.
mansoni, the anti-schistosomal
drug praziquantel (chemical stress). By studying which
unknown genes are co-regulated with those of known function we aim to
identify novel immune and stress related genes in each of these species.
These newly identified genes may serve as indicators of oyster health or, in
the case of S. mansoni,
as potentially new drug targets. |
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Publications: Herpin,
A, Favrel, P and Cunningham, C. 2002. Gene
structure and expression of cg-ALR1, a type I activin-like
receptor from the bivalve mollusc Crassostrea gigas.
Gene 301:21-30. Huvet,
A, Herpin, A, Dégremont,
L, Labreuche, Y, Samain,
JF and Cunningham, C. 2004. The identification of genes from the oyster Crassostrea gigas that are differentially
expressed in families exhibiting opposed susceptibility to summer mortality. Gene 343:211-220. Herpin A,
Lelong C, Becker T, Favrel
P, Cunningham C. 2005. Structural and functional evidences for a type 1
TGF-beta sensu stricto
receptor in the lophotrochozoan Crassostrea gigas suggest conserved
molecular mechanisms controlling mesodermal
patterning across bilateria. Mechanisms of Development 122:695-705. Herpin A,
Lelong C, Becker T, Favrel
P, Cunningham C. 2005. Structural and functional evidence for a singular
repertoire of BMP receptor signal transducing
proteins in the lophotrochozoan Crassostrea gigas suggests a shared ancestral BMP/activin pathway. FEBS
Journal 272:3424-3440. Cunningham C, Hikima J, Jenny MJ, Chapman RW, Fang GC, Saski C, Lundqvist ML, Wing RA,
Cupit PM, Gross PS, Warr
GW, Tomkins JP 2006. New Resources for Marine Genomics: BAC libraries for the
Eastern and Pacific oysters (Crassostrea virginica and
C. gigas). Marine
Biotechnology 8:521-533. Herpin A
Lelong C, Becker T, Favrel
P, Cunningham C. A tolloid homologue from the Pacific oyster Crassostrea gigas. Gene
Expression Patterns (in press). Jenny MJ,
Chapman RW, Mancia1 A, Chen AY, McKillen D, Trent
H, Lang P, Escoubas J-M, Bachere
E, Boulo V, Liu JZ, Gross PS, Cunningham C, Cupit PM, Tanguy A, Guo X,
Moraga D, Boutet I, Huvet
A, De Guise S, Almeida JS, Warr GW.. A cDNA Microarray for Crassostrea
virginica and C. gigas.
Marine Biotechnology (in press) Herpin A,
Cunningham C. Cross-talk between the Bone Morphogenetic Protein pathway and
other major signaling pathways results in tightly regulated cell-specific
outcomes. FEBS J (in press) |
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