F. Andrew Ray
Associate Professor
Phone: (970) 491-5976
Fax: (970) 491-0623
Email: Andrew.Ray@colostate.edu
Office: 491 Molecular and Radiological Biosciences Building
Degrees
- Ph.D., Medical Sciences, University of New Mexico School of Medicine
- M.S., Medical Sciences, University of New Mexico School of Medicine
- B.S., Biology, Stetson University
Research Interests
In the early 1960s, great consternation was caused when it was realized that a virus (Simian virus 40)
contaminating human polio vaccines was capable of causing tumors in baby hamsters. This same virus
was found to cause human cells to exhibit cancer-like traits. Whether this virus causes cancer in people
is still actively debated and unanswered.
Dr. Ray's research has delved into questions of how the SV40 virus causes cancer
traits in normal human cells. Two key traits of cancer cells are genomic instability and immortality.
These two traits combine to give the cancer cell a one-two punch. Genomic instability allows a cancer cell
lineage to acquire new phenotypes and continually evolve in vivo. The immortal phenotype allows the cells
the time to accomplish this evolution.
Dr. Ray has been using the SV40 large T antigen protein to study this process. The
protein, when expressed in human fibroblasts, causes chromosome mutation.
This genomic instability, a direct effect of T antigen expression, leads
to immortalization,(usually by activating telomerase) at rare but detectable
frequencies. He is using mutant versions of the T antigen gene in an
attempt to understand how T antigen causes these radiomimetic effects.
Selected Publications
Articles
L. M. Petti and F. A. Ray, Transformation of Mortal Human
Fibroblasts and Activation of a Growth Inhibitory Pathway by the BPV E5 Oncoprotein.
Cell Growth & Differentiation 11:395-408, (2000).
M. C. Montalto, J. S. Phillips, and F. A. Ray, Telomerase
activation in human fibroblasts during escape from crisis. J. Cell. Physiol.
180:46-52, (1999).
F. A. Ray, M. J. Waltman, J. M. Lehman, J. B. Little,
J. A. Nickoloff, and P. M. Kraemer, Identification of SV40 T antigen mutants
that alter T antigen-induced chromosome damage in human fibroblasts. Cytometry,
31:242-250 (1998).
T. H.-T. Chang, F. A. Ray, D. A. Thompson,
and R. Schlegel, Disregulation of mitotic checkpoints and regulatory proteins
following acute expression of SV40 large T antigen in human cells. Oncogene
14:2383-2394 (1997).
Book Chapters
J. A. Nickoloff,
W.- P. Deng, E. M. , Miller, and F. A. Ray, Site-Directed Mutagenesis of Double-Stranded
Plasmids, Domain Substitution, and Marker Rescue by Comutagenesis of Restriction
Sites, in Basic DNA and RNA Protocols (Ed. A.J. Harwood), Methods in Molec.Biol.
Vol 58, Chapter 54, Humana Press, Totowa, NJ (1996).
F. A. Ray, T. D. Friedrich, J. Laffin, and J. M.
Lehman Protein Quantitation Using Flow Cytometry. In: The Protein Protocols
Handbook (Ed. J. M. Walker) Humana Press Inc. Totowa, NJ pp. 33-38 (1996).
F. A. Ray, Simian Virus
40 Large T Antigen Induces Chromosome Damage That Precedes and Coincides with
Complete Neoplastic Transformation. In: Oncogenic Mechanisms of DNA Tumor Viruses
(Eds. G. Barbanti-Brodano, M. Bendinelli and H. Friedman) Plenum Publishing
Corp., N Y pp. 15-26 (1995).
F. A. Ray, Electroporation of Plasmid DNA into
Normal Human Fibroblasts. In: Electroporation and Electrofusion Protocols, Methods
in Molecular Biology, Vol. 48 (Ed. J. A. Nickoloff) Humana Press Inc. Totowa,
NJ. pp.133-140 (1995).
T. D. Friedrich, F. A. Ray, J. Laffin, and J. M. Lehman Flow Cytometric Quantitation
of Cellular Proteins. In press in: The Protein Protocols Handbook, Second Edition
(Ed. J. M. Walker) Humana Press.
Mailing Address
Environmental & Radiological Health Sciences
1681Campus Delivery
Colorado State University
Fort Collins, CO 80523
Phone: (970) 491-7038
Fax: (970) 491-2940
Email:
ERHSDepartment
