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Hire Dr. Jason L.

United States

USD 20 /hr

Profile Summary

My current work focuses on intracellular toxins produced by the human pathogens Bacillus anthracis (edema toxin) and Clostridium difficile (TcdB). As summarized below, this work has provided me with a high degree of scientific expertise in biochemistry, molecular biology, microbiology, and immunology. I have also served as the primary scientific writer on these projects, thus I have experience preparing research publications, grant applications, and scientific meeting presentations. • Peptide based inhibitor of TcdB (2012-current): TcdB is an intracellular toxin necessary for C. difficile infections. Biochemical investigations into to the structure and function of TcdB resulted in the discovery of TcdB inhibitory peptides. With these studies, I have gained competency in designing and executing various biochemical experiments that dissect the function of TcdB as well as the mechanism of peptide inhibition. Currently, I am exploring methods for using this peptide in animal models of infection. • Discovery of cell penetrating peptides from TcdB (2015-current): From my studies on TcdB inhibitory peptides, I made the surprising finding that many of these peptides also possess cell penetrating activities. With this work, I have designed and performed cell based assays that examine peptide mediated cellular uptake of a wide variety of cargo including proteins, microspheres, and viruses. • Hijacking macrophages by cAMP generating bacterial toxins (2006-current): With this research, I have utilized various sources of macrophages and standard techniques for evaluating cell signaling networks. My work has led to the discovery of two ET responsive systems in macrophages, and I am now further probing these cAMP systems in macrophages with CRISPR–Cas9 gene editing delivered through a lentivirus based method. • Metals in medicine and toxicology (2000-2005): In my graduate studies, I used mass spectrometry to elucidate molecular details about how eukaryotic zinc finger motifs interact with medically relevant gold and selenium compounds.

Subject Matter Expertise

• ☆ Mass Spectrometry
• ☆ Peptide Synthesis
• ☆ Microbiology
• ☆ Biochemistry
• ☆ Molecular Biology
• ☆ Gene Editing/CRISPR
• ☆ Technical & Scientific Writing

Services

• Writing
• Consulting
• Product Development

Work Experience

Research Assistant Professor

University of Oklahoma Health Sciences Center

March 2011 - Present

Education

Ph.D. , Biochemistry and Molecular Biology

University of Oklahoma Health Sciences Center

August 2000 - July 2005

Certifications

• Certification details not provided.

Publications

JOURNAL ARTICLE

Jason L. Larabee, Garrett Hauck, Jimmy D. Ballard(2018). Unique, Intersecting, and Overlapping Roles of C/{EBP} $\upbeta$ and {CREB} in Cells of the Innate Immune System . Scientific Reports. 8. (1). Springer Science and Business Media {LLC}

Larabee JL, Hauck GD, Ballard JD(2017). Cell penetrating peptides derived from Clostridium difficile TcdB2 and a related large clostridial toxin . The Journal of biological chemistry.

Dumas, E.K., Gross, T., Larabee, J., Pate, L., Cuthbertson, H., Charlton, S., Hallis, B., Engler, R.J.M., Collins, L.C., Spooner, C.E., et al.(2017). Anthrax vaccine precipitated induces edema toxin-neutralizing, edema factor-specific antibodies in human recipients . Clinical and Vaccine Immunology. 24. (11).

Larabee, J.L., Bland, S.J., Hunt, J.J., Ballard, J.D.(2017). Intrinsic toxin-derived peptides destabilize and inactivate Clostridium difficile TcdB . mBio. 8. (3).

Hunt JJ, Larabee JL, Ballard JD(2017). Amino Acid Differences in the 1753-to-1851 Region of TcdB Influence Variations in TcdB1 and TcdB2 Cell Entry . mSphere.

Larabee, J.L., Krumholz, A., Hunt, J.J., Lanis, J.M., Ballard, J.D.(2015). Exposure of neutralizing epitopes in the carboxyl-terminal domain of TcdB is altered by a proximal hypervariable region . Journal of Biological Chemistry. 290. (11). p. 6975-6985.

Barua, S., Iyer, J.K., Larabee, J.L., Raisley, B., Hughes, M.A., Coggeshall, K.M., Ballard, J.D.(2013). Toxin inhibition of antimicrobial factors induced by bacillus anthracis peptidoglycan in human blood . Infection and Immunity. 81. (10). p. 3693-3702.

Larabee, J.L., Shakir, S.M., Barua, S., Ballard, J.D.(2013). Increased cAMP in monocytes augments notch signaling mechanisms by elevating RBP-J and transducin-like enhancer of split (TLE) . Journal of Biological Chemistry. 288. (30). p. 21526-21536.

Barua, S., Larabee, J., Regens, J.L., Ballard, J.D.(2012). Differential inflammatory responses triggered by toxic small molecules . Environmental Science and Pollution Research. 19. (3). p. 619-627.

Larabee, J.L., Maldonado-Arocho, F.J., Pacheco, S., France, B., DeGiusti, K., Shakir, S.M., Bradley, K.A., Ballard, J.D.(2011). Glycogen synthase kinase 3 activation is important for anthrax edema toxin-induced dendritic cell maturation and anthrax toxin receptor 2 expression in macrophages . Infection and Immunity. 79. (8). p. 3302-3308.

Larabee, J.L., Shakir, S.M., Hightower, L., Ballard, J.D.(2011). Adenomatous polyposis coli protein associates with C/EBP β and increases Bacillus anthracis edema toxin-stimulated gene expression in macrophages . Journal of Biological Chemistry. 286. (22). p. 19364-19372.

Shakir, S.M., Bryant, K.M., Larabee, J.L., Hamm, E.E., Lovchik, J., Lyons, C.R., Ballard, J.D.(2010). Regulatory interactions of a virulence-associated serine/threonine phosphatase-kinase pair in Bacillus anthracis . Journal of Bacteriology. 192. (2). p. 400-409.

Hanas, J.S., Briggs, G.B., Lerner, M.R., Lightfoot, S.A., Larabee, J.L., Karsies, T.J., Epstein, R.B., Hanas, R.J., Brackett, D.J., Hocker, J.R.(2010). Systemic molecular and cellular changes induced in rats upon inhalation of JP-8 petroleum fuel vapor . Toxicology Mechanisms and Methods. 20. (4). p. 204-212.

Joshi, S.K., Lang, G.A., Larabee, J.L., Devera, T.S., Aye, L.M., Shah, H.B., Ballard, J.D., Lang, M.L.(2009). Bacillus anthracis lethal toxin disrupts TCR signaling in CD1d-restricted NKT cells leading to functional anergy . PLoS Pathogens. 5. (9).

Larabee, J.L., Hocker, J.R., Hanas, J.S.(2009). Mechanisms of inhibition of zinc-finger transcription factors by selenium compounds ebselen and selenite . Journal of Inorganic Biochemistry. 103. (3). p. 419-426.

Barua, S., McKevitt, M., DeGiusti, K., Hamm, E.E., Larabee, J., Shakir, S., Bryant, K., Koehler, T.M., Blanke, S.R., Dyer, D., et al.(2009). The mechanism of Bacillus anthracis intracellular germination requires multiple and highly diverse genetic loci . Infection and Immunity. 77. (1). p. 23-31.

Larabee, J.L., Hocker, J.R., Cheung, J.Y., Gallucci, R.M., Hanas, J.S.(2008). Serum profiling of rat dermal exposure to JP-8 fuel reveals an acute-phase response . Toxicology Mechanisms and Methods. 18. (1). p. 41-51.

Hanas, J.S., Hocker, J.R., Cheung, J.Y., Larabee, J.L., Lerner, M.R., Lightfoot, S.A., Morgan, D.L., Denson, K.D., Prejeant, K.C., Gusev, Y., et al.(2008). Biomarker identification in human pancreatic cancer sera . Pancreas. 36. (1). p. 61-69.

Larabee, J.L., DeGiusti, K., Regens, J.L., Ballard, J.D.(2008). Bacillus anthracis edema toxin activates nuclear glycogen synthase kinase 3β . Infection and Immunity. 76. (11). p. 4895-4904.

McKevitt, M.T., Bryant, K.M., Shakir, S.M., Larabee, J.L., Blanke, S.R., Lovchik, J., Lyons, C.R., Ballard, J.D.(2007). Effects of endogenous D-alanine synthesis and autoinhibition of Bacillus anthracis germination on in vitro and in vivo infections . Infection and Immunity. 75. (12). p. 5726-5734.

Larabee, J.L., Hocker, J.R., Lerner, M.R., Lightfoot, S.A., Cheung, J.Y., Brackett, D.J., Gallucci, R.M., Hanas, J.S.(2005). Stress induced in heart and other tissues by rat dermal exposure to JP-8 fuel . Cell Biology and Toxicology. 21. (5-6). p. 233-246.

Larabee, J.L., Hocker, J.R., Hanas, J.S.(2005). Cys redox reactions and metal binding of a Cys<inf>2</inf>His<inf>2</inf>zinc finger . Archives of Biochemistry and Biophysics. 434. (1 SPEC. ISS.). p. 139-149.

Larabee, J.L., Hocker, J.R., Hanas, J.S.(2005). Mechanisms of aurothiomalate-Cys<inf>2</inf>His<inf>2</inf> zinc finger interactions . Chemical Research in Toxicology. 18. (12). p. 1943-1954.

Grammas, P., Ottman, T., Reimann-Philipp, U., Larabee, J., Weigel, P.H.(2004). Injured brain endothelial cells release neurotoxic thrombin . Journal of Alzheimer's Disease. 6. (3). p. 275-281.

Larabee, J.L., Hocker, J.R., Larabee, J.L., Hocker, J.R., Hanas, R., Kahn, F.M., Hanas, J.S.(2002). Inhibition of zinc finger protein-DNA interactions by sodium selenite . Biochemical Pharmacology. 64. (12). p. 1757-1765.

Fechter, L.D., Chen, G.-D., Rao, D., Larabee, J.(2000). Predicting exposure conditions that facilitate the potentiation of noise-induced hearing loss by carbon monoxide . Toxicological Sciences. 58. (2). p. 315-323.