| Mohnen,
Debra |
E-mail:
dmohnen@ccrc.uga.edu |
| Tendons
are connective tissues that transmit the force created in the
muscle to the bone, and thereby make movement possible. The
basic functional units in tendons are collagen fibers that are
crosslinked by proteoglycans. The proteoglycans are believed
to influence the ability of the tendons to respond to strains
and stresses. In collaboration with other researchers in The
Soft Tissue Center we are using chicken as a model system to
study the role of proteoglycans in tendon structure, function,
and repair. Current emphasis involves characterizing the proteoglycans
in chicken gastrocnemius tendons and studying how the proteoglycans
change in tendons under stress. |
| Keywords:
pectin, cell wall, polysaccharide, homogalacturonan, glycosyltransferase,
galacturonosyltransferase, methyltransferase, epimerase, oligosaccharide,
oligogalacturonide, Golgi, membrane, tendon, proteoglycan, glycosaminoglycan
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| Travis,
James |
E-mail:
jtravis@uga.edu |
| Our
laboratory investigates the role of bacterial proteinases as
virulence factors in infectious diseases. These proteinases
enable bacteria to obtain peptides and amino acids, and also
to modulate host defenses to the benefit of the bacteria. Porphyromonas
gingivalis, a central pathogen in periodontal disease, provides
a prime example of an organism with proteolytic enzymes that
can modulate host defense systems. Our research group is focused
on elucidating the exact roles of proteinases secreted by this
and other bacterial species in infection of the human host. |
| Keywords:
Proteinase / protease / periodontal disease / proteinase inhibitors
/ bacterial pathogenesis |
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