Patrick Ryan, PhD

Professor
858 Madison Ave.
201 B Molecular Science Building
Memphis, TN 38163
Email: pryan@uthsc.edu
Phone: 901.448.8764
Fax: 901.448.7360

Research Interests

The main emphasis of my research is on understanding the entry pathway of herpesviruses. In particular, we have focused on the role of glycoprotein C (gC) of pseudorabies virus (PRV) in this process. PRV gC initiates virus attachment by binding to heparan sulfate, which is present on the cell surface as extended chains attached to proteoglycan cores. However, gC appears to have an additional role in entry and this is likely mediated through the proteoglycan cores.

Consequently, we are determining which proteoglycans are bound by gC and are interested in defining the potential molecular events, such as possible signaling or additional receptor recruitment, that result from the gC-proteoglycan interaction. PRV gC is not essential for virus infection, but our findings should indicate the normal features of efficient virus entry. An unrelated project in the lab is characterizing another envelope protein of PRV, UL43 protein. Although conserved among several neurotropic herpesviruses, little is known about this multi-spanning membrane protein.

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Education

• BS, University of Arkansas, Fayetteville, AR, 1980, Bacteriology
• PhD, University of North Carolina, Chapel Hill, NC, 1985, Microbiology