Professor
Center of Marine Biotechnology, Baltimore, MD
Ph.D., National University LaPlata, Argentina.
Molecular aspects and evolution of the acute phase response in vertebrates and invertebrates - Structurelfunction relationships in carbohydrate-binding proteins: role of S- and C-type lectins in development and internal defense - Molecular and biological aspects of hostlparasite interactions - Disease prevention, diagnostic and control in fisheries and aquaculture.
Publications:
Quesenberry, M. S., K. Saito, D. N.
Krupatkina, J. A. F. Robledo, T. Drgon, W. T. Pecher, N. OÕLeary, M.
Alavi, T. Miller, R. E. Schneider, R. Belas, J. R. Deeds, A. R. Place,
Y. Zohar, and G.R. Vasta. 2002. Bioassay for ichthyocidal
activity of Pfiesteria piscicida: Characterization of a culture flask
assay format. J. Appl. Phycol. (In press).
Gauthier, J. D. and Vasta G. R. 2002. Effects of plasma from
bivalve mollusk species on the in vitro proliferation of the parasite
Perkinsus marinus. Differential uptake of trophozoites by hemocytes from
the oysters Crassostrea virginica and C. gigas. J. Exp. Zool (In press).
Coss, C. A., Robledo, J .A. F., Ruiz, G., Vasta, G. R. 2001.
Description of Perkinsus andrewsi n. sp. isolated from the Baltic clam (Macoma
balthica) by characterization of the ribosomal RNA locus, and
development of a species-specific PCR-based diagnostic assay. J. Euk.
Microbiol., 48: 52-61.
Coss, C. A., Robledo, J. A. F., Vasta, G. R. 2001. Fine structure
of clonally propagated in vitro life stages of a Perkinsus species
isolated from Macoma balthica. J. Euk. Microbiol., 48: 38-51.
Robledo, J. A., Coss, C. A., and Vasta G. R. 2000.
Characterization of the ribosomal RNA locus of Perkinsus atlanticus, and
development of a polymerase chain reaction-based diagnostic assay. J.
Parasitol. 86:972-978.
Yoshino, T. P. and Vasta, G. R. 1996. Parasite-invertebrate host
immune interactions. In: Invertebrate Immune Responses: Cell Activities
and the Environment. Ed: E. L. Cooper. Springer-Verlag. Heidelberg. pp.
125-167.
Marsh, A. G., J. D. Gauthier and G. R. Vasta. 1995. A
semiquantitative PCR assay for the detection and enumeration of
Perkinsus marinus infections in oyster tissues. J. Parasitol.,
81:577-583.
Vasta, G. R., J. Gauthier and A. Marsh. 1995. Molecular and
biochemical adaptations of the protozoan pathogen Perkinsus marinus for
its host, Crassostrea virginica. J. Mar. Biotech. 3:35-41.
Liao, D.-I., Kapadia, G., Ahmed, H., Vasta, G. R. and Herzberg,
0. 1994. Structure of S- lectin, a developmentally regulated vertebrate
-galactoside-binding protein. Proc. Natl. Acad Scl. 91: 1428-1432.
Ahmed, H. and Vasta, G. R. 1994. Galectins: conservation of
functionally and structurally relevant amino acid residues defines two
types of carbohydrate recognition domains. Glycobiology. 4: 545-549.
Cassels, F. J., Odom, E. W. and Vasta, G. R. 1994. Hemolymph
lectins of the blue crab Callinectes sapidus recognize selected
serotypes of its pathogen Vibrio parahaemolyticus. Ann. N.Y. Acad Scl.
712: 324-326.
Gauthier, J.D. and Vasta, G.R. 1993. Continuous in vitro culture
of the eastern oyster parasite Perkinsus marinus. J. Invert. Pathol.
62:321-324.
Vasta, G.R. 1992. Invertebrate lectins: Distribution, synthesis,
molecular biology and function. In: Glycoconjugates: Composition,
Structure and Function. Allen, H.J. and Kisailus, E.C. Eds. Marcel
Dekker, New York. pp 593-634.