Faculty

John M. Murray, MD, PhD

faculty photo
Emeritus Associate Professor of Cell and Developmental Biology
Department: Cell and Developmental Biology

Contact information
1053 BRB II/III
421 Curie Boulevard
Philadelphia, PA 19104-6058
Office: 215-898-3045
Fax: 215-898-9871
Education:
B.S. (Chemistry, magna cum laude)
Spring Hill College, Mobile, AL, 1967.
(Physics & Engineering)
Lawrence University, Institute of Paper Chemistry, Appleton, WI, 1968.
(Biochemistry, Medicine)
St. Louis University, St. Louis, MO, 1972.
M.D., Ph.D (Biochemistry)
University of Pennsylvania, 1975.
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Description of Research Expertise

Research Interests
- cell biology
- structural biology
- cytoskeleton
- motility
- cell division

Key words: cell biology, cytoskeleton, motility, Toxoplasma, cell division, microtubules.

Description of Research



Our major focus is the replication and assembly of daughter cells of the human pathogen Toxoplasma gondii, which infects an estimated one-third of the US population. During Toxoplasma replication, multiple daughters assemble simultaneously within the mother, a process in which assembly of the cytoskeleton is critical. With fluorescent reporter proteins and advanced imaging techniques we analyze replication of the various subcellular organelles over time, using time-lapse video microscopy, image deconvolution, laser scanning confocal microscopy, fluorescence photobleaching, and laser ablation. We aim to determine the chronological order of critical events in T. gondii replication, the cause and effect relationships associated with these processes, and the molecular mechanisms involved.



Rotation Projects for 2006-2007
- Functional specialization of tubulin isoforms in the assembly of the human parasite T. gondii
- Characterization of proteins identified in a proteomics screen of the conoid, a novel microtubule-based motile organelle
- Membrane-cytoskeletal proteins involved in replication of T. gondii

Selected Publications

Hu, K., Mann, T., Striepen, B., Beckers, C.J.M, Roos, D.S. and Murray, J.M.: Daughter cell assembly in the protozoan parasite Toxoplasma gondii. Mol. Biol. Cell 13: 593-606, 2002.

Swedlow, J.R., Hu, K., Andrews, P.D., Roos, D.S. and Murray, J.M.: Measuring tubulin content in Toxoplasma gondii: a comparison of laser-scanning confocal and wide-field fluorescence microscopy. Proc. Nat'l Acad. Sci. 99: 2014-2019, 2002.

Hu, K., Roos, D.S. and Murray, J.M.: A novel polymer of tubulin forms the conoid of Toxoplasma gondii. J. Cell Biol. 156: 1039-1050, 2002.

Karpova, A.Y., M. Trost, J.M. Murray, L.C. Cantley, and P.M. Howley: Interferon regulatory factor-3 is an in vivo target of DNA-PK. Proc Natl Acad Sci U S A 99: 2818-2823, 2002.

Murray, J.M.: Revealingly odd couples. Proc Natl Acad Sci 99: 16507-16509, 2002.

T Suramana, J M Murray, K Hu, T Posayanonda, N Nuntharatanapong, R Sindhuphak, N Dusitsin, P Sinhaseni: Tyrosine and serine-threonine kinase inhibitors block sodium arsenite induced disruption of the actin cytoskeleton and focal adhesions. Society of Toxicology Annual Meeting March 17 2002.

Ke Hu, John M. Murray, and David S. Roos: Identification of Conoid Structural Components. ASCB meeting, San Francisco, CA December 2002.

Ke Hu, David S. Roos, and John M. Murray: Two, three, four, or More?– novel cell division patterns of Toxoplasma gondii. ASCB meeting, San Francisco, CA December 2002.

M. Nishi, C.Y. He, C. Ward, F.S. Dzierszinski, J.M. Murray, J.M. Wastling and D.S. Roos: Exploiting the ‘Delayed Death Phenotype’ to Study Apicoplast Function in Toxoplasma gondii. ASCB meeting, San Francisco, CA December 2002.

He, C.Y., Striepen, B., Pletcher, C.H., Murray, J.M., and Roos, D.S.: Targeting and processing of nuclear-encoded apicoplast proteins in plastid segregation mutants of Toxoplasma gondii. J. Biol. Chem. 276: 28436-28442, 2001.

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Last updated: 11/03/2009
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