Description Of Research: David M. Markovitz, M.D

Our laboratory studies the interaction of retroviruses such as HIV with human cellular factors. The goal of this work is to understand the mechanisms that regulate retroviral replication, and also to use these viruses as models for elucidating human cellular processes. Our work is thus relevant to understanding cancer and immunity, as well as viral pathogenesis. The specific projects in the laboratory at this time examine the following issues: (1) the role of the chemokines IL-8 and GRO-a in HIV-1 pathogenesis, (2) the mechanism of action of the DEK protein, which has been linked to the pathogenesis of HIV-2, leukemia, several solid tumors, and autoimmune disease, (3) the role of vimentin in immunity, and (4) pathogenic effects of human endogenous retroviruses.

Recent Publications

Contreras-Galindo R, Kaplan MH, Markovitz DM, Lorenzo E, Yamamura Y. Detection of HERV-K(HML-2) viral RNA in plasma of HIV type 1-infected individuals. AIDS Res Human Retroviruses 22 (10): 979-984, 2006.

Mor-Vaknin N, Punturieri A, Sitwala K, Faulkner N, Legendre M, Khodadoust MS, Kappes F, Ruth JH, Koch A, Glass D, Petruzzelli L, Adams BS, Markovitz DM. The DEK nuclear autoantigen is a secreted chemotactic factor. Molec Cell Biol 26 (24): 9484-9496, 2006.

Bargagna-Mohan P, Hamza A, Kim YE, Khuan Abby Ho Y, Mor-Vaknin N, Wendschlag N, Liu J, Evans RM, Markovitz DM, Zhan CG, Kim KB, Mohan R. The tumor inhibitor and antiangiogenic agent Withaferin A targets the intermediate filament protein vimentin. Chem Biol Jun;14(6):623-34, 2007.

Devany M, Kappes F, Chen KM, Markovitz DM, Matsuo H. Solution NMR structure of the N-terminal domain of the human DEK protein. Protein Sci 17 (2): 205-215, 2008.

Bielinska AU, Janczak KW, Landers JJ, Markovitz DM, Montefiori DC, Baker JR. Nasal immunization with a recombinant HIV gp120 and nanoemulsion adjuvant produces th1 polarized responses and neutralizing antibodies to primary HIV type 1 isolates. AIDS Res Human Retrovirus 24 (2): 271-281, 2008.

Kappes F, Fahrer J, Khodadoust MS, Tabbert A, Strasser C, Mor-Vaknin N, Moreno-Villanueva M, Burkle A, Markovitz DM, Ferrando-May E. DEK is a poly(ADP-ribose) acceptor in apoptosis and mediates resistance to genotoxic stress. Molec Cell Biol 28 (10): 3245-3257, 2008.

Contreras-Galindo R, Kaplan MH, Leissner P, Verjat T, Ferlenghi I, Bagnoli F, Giusti F, Dosik MH, Hayes DF, Gitlin SD, Markovitz DM. Human endogenous retrovirus K (HML-2) elements in the plasma of people with lymphoma and breast cancer. J Virol 82 (19): 9329-9336, 2008.