Judy A. Garner, , Ph.D

Research Interests

Herpes simplex Type 1 (HSV1), the cold sore virus, can cause relatively innocuous infections of oral mucous membranes and sensory nerves innervating those membranes in a large portion of the adult general population. HSV1, as with all herpesviruses, is capable of achieving latency, and can be reactivated by various factors such as stress, or exposure to UV light. Though relatively rare, HSV1 can also cause more serious encephalitic or systemic disseminated infections. Demonstrating increased risk for these more serious sequelae of HSV1 infection is the portion of the population that is relatively immunosuppressed (neonates, transplant patients, or those with immune-suppressive disorders). In addition, ocular herpetic keratitis, a recurrent infection and scarring of the corneal epithelium and stroma is herpetic infection. The multiple deleterious effects of herpesvirus infection thus motivate us to attempt a better understanding of neuronal cell responses to viral infection.

The intracellular transport of HSV1 within the host neuron is required for cell-cell transmission of infection: newly synthesized virus in infected cell bodies is targeted to the plasma membrane of long axons or dendrites prior to release of mature infective virus near cells with which it forms synapses. The synaptic connections of the infected cell, and transneuronal transfer of virus, thus provide a unique route by which virus can be presented to the internal regions of the relatively immunoprotected CNS.

The goal of our research is to identify the mechanisms used by HSV1 for targeted movement within neurons. Our hypothesis for this work is that HSV1 uses endogenous host mechanisms to accomplish intracellular transport. It is our bias that the study of how this virus may make use of host mechanisms will have implications for both the pathogenesis of herpes infection, as well as more broad implications for the cell biology of intracellular trafficking.

Molecular mechanisms of intraneuronal viral transport; axonal transport of neural cytoskeleton; biochemistry and structure of the presynaptic terminal

Degrees

Case Western Reserve University, PHD, 1979

Fellowships

C.W.R.U., 1979 - 1981
Indiana St. University , 1981 - 1983

MEMBERSHIPS & AFFILIATIONS

Memberships

American Association of Anatomists
Nominating Committee, American Association of Anatomists
R.R. Bensley Memorial Award Committee
National or International Scientific Advisory Boards
Member, Board of Science Advisors, California Science Center.
Administration of the Retzius Neuroanatomy Competition, with Drs. Gilles, H
Journal of Neuroscience Research.
Journal of Neurochemistry
Brain Research
Cell and Muscle and Motility
Grant Reviewer
Reviewer: VA grants
Ad hoc reviewer, NIH Grants (about 11-12 pr year total)
American Society for Cell Biology
Society for Neuroscience
American Association for the Advancement of Science

M.A. Chin, J.H. LaVail, and J.A. Garner "Intraaxonal transport of HSV-1 defective in glycoprotein B. (In preparation).

J.A. Garner, Black, M.M., M.A. Chestnut, and J. Keen. Axonal transport and physical associations of clathrin assembly proteins, AP3 and AP100.

Garner, J.A. and K.D. Linse. "The major protein transported in slow component b of axonal transport is glyceraldehyde phosphate dehydrogenase."

Hinton, D.R., R.K. Polk, K.D. Linse, M.H. Weiss, K. Kovacs, and J.A. Garner. LaVail, J.H., K.S. Topp, P.A. Giblin, and J. A. Garner. "Factors that contribute to the efficiency of transneuronal spread of herpes simplex virus" J. Neurosci. Res. 49: 485-496 (1997)

"Characterization of spherical amyloid protein from a prolactin-producing pituitary adenoma" Acta Neuropathologica 93: 43-49 (1997).

Book Chapter Garner, J.A. "Centrifugation: Separation of Subcellular Organelles", In Encyclopedia of Separation Science, Academic Press, London, 2000.

He, P.M., S. He, J. A. Garner, S.J. Ryan, and D.R. Hinton. Retinal pigment epithelial cells secrete and respond to hepatocyte growth factor. BBRC 249:253-257 (1998).

Garner, J.A., and J.H. LaVail. Differential anterograde spread of HSV Type 1 viral strains in the murine optic pathway . J. Neurovirology 5 (2): 140-1550(1999).