Julia Blue, College of Veterinary Medicine

My area of primary interest is in neoplastic conditions of hematopoietic and lymphoid tissues and in immune mediated disorders with hematologic consequences. I use morphology and cytochemistry, including some of my own modifications of cytochemical procedures, to diagnose and characterize various forms of leukemia and lymphoma in domestic animals. My interest in neoplastic disorders of the hemolymphatic system is fairly widely known. Consequently I receive material from unusual and challenging cases from around the country. These cases have expanded our understanding of the clinical and hematologic manifestations of neoplastic conditions and the non-neoplastic conditions that can mimic them. As yet unpublished data from ongoing studies has led to new and, in some instances, surprising insights about the prevalence, pathology, and clinical manifestations of neoplastic and immune mediated disorders of hematopoiesis in domestic animals.

Marjory Brooks, College of Veterinary Medicine
Comparative Coagulation

Alex Brown, College of Veterinary Medicine

Our laboratory investigates biochemical mechanisms of lipid second messenger production. A variety of extracellular signals (such as hormones and neurotransmitters) stimulate an intracellular enzyme, phospholipase D (PLD), to catalyze the production of phosphatidic acid and subsequently other biologically active lipids.

The current focus is on receptor mediated regulation of monomeric G proteins, such as ADP-ribosylation factor (ARF) and Cdc42, and protein kinase C to activate PLD in cells. The identification of novel proteins and lipids that modulate PLD activity is a major aim of this research. A variety of techniques (e.g.,protein purification and reconstitution, lipid analysis by HPLC, spectroscopic analysis of lipid bilayer fluidity, and protein structure determinations) are utilized to explore these areas of interest.

The hydrolysis of phosphatidylcholine by PLD alters the biophysical properties of the lipid bilayer. These alterations may be important in mechanisms that control membrane remodeling (e.g.,secretion & degranulation, vesicle biogenesis, cytoskeletal organization, and control of cell cycle events). We are especially interested in the participation of G proteins, tyrosine kinases, and phospholipases in processes of oncogenesis and metastasis.

James W. Casey, College of Veterinary Medicine

Eukaryotic gene regulation; oncogenic transformation; viral replication; viral pathogenesis, toxicology.