Position Title

Associate Professor of Biochemistry, Microbiology, and Immunology

Biography

Matthew P. Jackson, Ph.D., is Associate Professor of Biochemistry, Microbiology and Immunology. He joined the faculty at Wayne State University School of Medicine in 1989. Dr. Jackson received a Ph.D. from Kansas State University in 1985 and was a postdoctoral research fellow at the Uniformed Services University in Bethesda, Maryland from 1985 to 1989.

Education

 Ph.D. in Microbiology

Graduate

Accepting new MS students in 2024: No
Accepting new PhD students in 2024: No

Links of Interest

The Office of Medical Education

Office Location

5312 SH

Research

Dr. Jackson's research interest is the molecular analysis of the Shiga toxin family of bacterial cytotoxins.

Research Focus

Shiga toxin, which is produced by Shigella dysenteriae, is the prototype for a family of related Shiga-like cytotoxins. The Shiga-like toxins are produced by strains of Escherichia coli that cause food-related outbreaks of diarrhea. These toxins are responsible for the potentially fatal complications that may follow the diarrheal stage of the food-borne disease. The Shiga toxin family of cytotoxins target specific organ systems in the body that leads to kidney failure and occasionally central nervous system damage.

Dr. Jackson's laboratory uses mutational analysis to define domains of the Shiga toxin molecule that are required for cell entry and ribosome inactivation. This information may be used to establish an effective therapeutic protocol that prevents cell death and the kidney damage caused by intoxication. Dr. Jackson is investigating chemical inhibitors that block the cell-killing activity of Shiga toxin. Another area of research interest is the use of Shiga toxin for the development of recombinant proteins with the capacity to kill virus-infected or tumor cells. For example, a hybrid toxin developed in Dr. Jackson's lab comprising the enzymatic domain of Shiga toxin fused to the T-lymphocyte surface marker CD4 was able to enter and kill cells infected with the human immunodeficiency virus.

Formerly directing research in the Shiga-like toxins produced by enterohemorrhagic E. coli, Dr. Jackson’s efforts have focused on the preclinical medical school curriculum since 2005. His current role is Assistant Dean of Basic Science Education with the responsibility of delivering a curriculum for undergraduate medical students. Dr. Jackson also serves as the course director for the graduate and medical microbiology courses.

Publications

• Handa H, Gurczynski S, Jackson MP, Mao G. Immobilization and molecular interactions between bacteriophage and lipopolysaccharide bilayers. Langmuir. 26:12095-103. 2010. Medline
• Handa H, Gurczynski S, Jackson MP, Auner G, Mao G. Recognition of Salmonella Typhimurium by Immobilized Phage P22 Monolayers. Surf Sci. 602:1392-1400. 2008. Medline
• Skinner, L.M. and M.P. Jackson. Inhibition of prokaryotic translation by the Shiga toxin enzymatic subunit. Microbial Pathogenesis 24:117-122, 1998. Medline
• Skinner, L.M. and M.P. Jackson. Investigation of ribosome binding by the Shiga toxin A1 subunit using competition and site-directed mutagenesis. J Bacteriol 179:1368-1374, 1997. Medline
• Al-Jaufy, A.Y., S.R. King and M.P. Jackson. Purification and characterization of a Shiga toxin A subunit-CD4 fusion protein cytotoxic to human immunodeficiency virus-infected cells. Infect Immun. 63:3073-3078, 1995. Medline
• Jemal, C., J.E. Haddad, D. Begum and M.P. Jackson. Analysis of Shiga toxin subunit association using hybrid A polypeptides and site-specific mutagenesis. J Bacteriol 177:3128-3132, 1995. Medline

 

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