James F. Head, PhD

Emeritus Professor, Boston University Chobanian & Avedisian School of Medicine

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.

Publications

  • Published 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 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 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 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 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

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Other Positions

  • Member, Pulmonary Center
    Boston University

Websites

Education

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

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