William T. Morgan
Professor Emeritus, MBB
Ph.D. University of California-Santa Barbara
Office: 423A BSB
Phone: (816) 235-2596
E-mail: MorganWT
Research Areas
Protein structure-function relationships, regulation of blood clot formation and breakdown, spectroscopic and biochemical analysis of ligand-protein and protein-receptor interactions, use of monoclonal antibodies and site-directed mutagenesis to probe protein mechanisms of action.
Current Interests
"The transport of heme by hemopexin to tissues like liver is a specific, membrane receptor-mediated process. As a result, biologically useful iron is conserved and the accumulation of toxic heme is prevented. Our aim is to delineate the mechanisms of heme transport by hemopexin from initial binding of heme in the circulation to the interaction of hemopexin with its plasma membrane receptor. To attain this, a basic approach is taken in which hemopexin and its receptor are characterized in detail using biochemical, physical and molecular biological techniques, e.g. site-directed mutagenesis of hemopexin and molecular cloning of the receptor."
"Histidine-proline-rich glycoprotein (HPRG) is distinguished by its ability to interact with molecules involved with blood clot formation and breakdown. HPRG binds heparin and fibrinogen and modulates the activation of plasminogen by tissue plasminogen activator. The function of HPRG in hemostasis is being defined using biochemical, physical and molecular biological techniques to characterize the ligand-binding functional domains of HPRG and to define its mechanisms of action. Our current model is that HPRG acts in plasminogen activation at the surfaces of endothelial cells, platelets or fibrin aggregates, and that HPRG is regulated by localized changes in pH like those occurring in ischemia or hypoxia."
Research Support
This work is supported by the American Heart Association.
