James F. Head, PhD

Emeritus Professor, Pharmacology, Physiology & Biophysics

James Head
617.638.4396
700 Albany St Ctr for Adv Biomed Res

Biography

Dr. James Head an Emeritus Professor of Physiology and Biophysics at Chobanian and Avedisian School of Medicine. His research work focuses on characterizing the molecular details of protein-ligand and protein-protein interactions and the mechanisms by which changes in these interactions regulate physiological processes. These studies have concentrated mainly on the role of the calcium ion in mediating changes in protein-ligand interactions which subsequently may alter protein-protein interactions to modulate function. However, other protein-ligand interactions are also under study including enzyme-effector and protein-protein complexes. X-ray crystallography is a major tool used in these studies.

Other Positions

  • Member, Pulmonary Center, Boston University

Education

  • University of Birmingham, PhD
  • University of Manchester, BS

Publications

  • Published on 7/31/2017

    Rynkiewicz MJ, Wu H, Cafarella TR, Nikolaidis NM, Head JF, Seaton BA, McCormack FX. Differential Ligand Binding Specificities of the Pulmonary Collectins Are Determined by the Conformational Freedom of a Surface Loop. Biochemistry. 2017 Aug 08; 56(31):4095-4105. PMID: 28719181.

    Read at: PubMed
  • Published on 7/11/2013

    Farelli JD, Gumbart JC, Akey IV, Hempstead A, Amyot W, Head JF, McKnight CJ, Isberg RR, Akey CW. IcmQ in the Type 4b secretion system contains an NAD+ binding domain. Structure. 2013 Aug 6; 21(8):1361-73. PMID: 23850453.

    Read at: PubMed
  • Published on 5/17/2013

    Duval V, McMurry LM, Foster K, Head JF, Levy SB. Mutational analysis of the multiple-antibiotic resistance regulator MarR reveals a ligand binding pocket at the interface between the dimerization and DNA binding domains. J Bacteriol. 2013 Aug; 195(15):3341-51. PMID: 23687277.

    Read at: PubMed
  • Published on 6/8/2012

    van Eijk M, Rynkiewicz MJ, White MR, Hartshorn KL, Zou X, Schulten K, Luo D, Crouch EC, Cafarella TR, Head JF, Haagsman HP, Seaton BA. A unique sugar-binding site mediates the distinct anti-influenza activity of pig surfactant protein D. J Biol Chem. 2012 Aug 3; 287(32):26666-77. PMID: 22685299.

    Read at: PubMed
  • Published on 8/24/2011

    Platonova O, Akey IV, Head JF, Akey CW. Crystal structure and function of human nucleoplasmin (npm2): a histone chaperone in oocytes and embryos. Biochemistry. 2011 Sep 20; 50(37):8078-89. PMID: 21863821.

    Read at: PubMed
  • Published on 11/3/2010

    Shang F, Rynkiewicz MJ, McCormack FX, Wu H, Cafarella TM, Head JF, Seaton BA. Crystallographic complexes of surfactant protein A and carbohydrates reveal ligand-induced conformational change. J Biol Chem. 2011 Jan 7; 286(1):757-65. PMID: 21047777.

    Read at: PubMed
  • Published on 7/2/2010

    Hartshorn KL, White MR, Rynkiewicz M, Sorensen G, Holmskov U, Head J, Crouch EC. Monoclonal antibody-assisted structure-function analysis of the carbohydrate recognition domain of surfactant protein D. Am J Physiol Lung Cell Mol Physiol. 2010 Sep; 299(3):L384-92. PMID: 20601494.

    Read at: PubMed
  • Published on 7/1/2010

    Hartshorn KL, White MR, Smith K, Sorensen G, Kuroki Y, Holmskov U, Head J, Crouch EC. Increasing antiviral activity of surfactant protein d trimers by introducing residues from bovine serum collectins: dissociation of mannan-binding and antiviral activity. Scand J Immunol. 2010 Jul; 72(1):22-30. PMID: 20591072.

    Read at: PubMed
  • Published on 4/27/2010

    Seaton BA, Crouch EC, McCormack FX, Head JF, Hartshorn KL, Mendelsohn R. Review: Structural determinants of pattern recognition by lung collectins. Innate Immun. 2010 Jun; 16(3):143-50. PMID: 20423923.

    Read at: PubMed
  • Published on 4/21/2009

    Crouch E, Hartshorn K, Horlacher T, McDonald B, Smith K, Cafarella T, Seaton B, Seeberger PH, Head J. Recognition of mannosylated ligands and influenza A virus by human surfactant protein D: contributions of an extended site and residue 343. Biochemistry. 2009 Apr 21; 48(15):3335-45. PMID: 19249874.

    Read at: PubMed

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