Biology Faculty Profiles

Mark Devlin Maloney, Ph.D.

Title: Professor

Spelman: 1994

Degree(s) | Year Awarded:

Tufts University, Medford, Massachusetts, B.S., Biology, 1981.

University of Massachusetts, Amherst, Massachusetts, Ph.D., Zoology/Parasitology, 1988.

Dissertation: Isolation, characterization and antigenicity of "Schistosoma mansoni glycolipids."

Course(s) Taught: Immunology, Bioinformatics, Parasitology, General Biology, Microbiology, Interdisciplinary Science Course

Selected Publication(s):

Maloney, M. D., and C. A. Lingwood. 1994. CD19 has a potential CD77 (globotriaosyl ceramide)-binding site with sequence similarity to verotoxin B-subunits: implications of molecular mimicry for B cell adhesion and enterohemorrhagic E. coli pathogenesis. Journal of Experimental Medicine, vol.180: pp. 191-201.

Maloney, M. D., B. Boyd and C. A. Lingwood. 1999. CD77 expression modulates interferon-alpha-induced growth inhibition and CD19 expression in a Burkitt’s lymphoma cell line. The Glycoconjugate Journal, vol. 16: pp. 821-828.

Jackson, T., C. Van Exel, K. Reagans, R. Verret and M. Maloney. 2001. Comparison of adhesion mechanisms in CD77-positive and CD77-negative Burkitt's lymphoma cells. Cellular and Molecular Biology, vol. 47: pp. 1195-1200.

George, T., M. Price, B. Boyd, C. Lingwood, and M. Maloney. 2001. MHC class II proteins contain a potential binding site for Shiga toxin (verocytotoxin) receptor glycolipids. Cellular and Molecular Biology, vol. 47: pp. 1179-1185.

Maloney, M. D., and C. A. Lingwood. 2003. Synergistic effect of verotoxin and interferon-alpha on erythropoiesis. Cellular and Molecular Biology, vol. 49: pp. 1363-1369.

Maloney, M., S. Bishop, G. Torrence, and M. DeLeon. Comparison of Total Lipid Composition in Gb3-Positive and Gb3-Deficient Burkitt's Lymphoma Cells. Journal of Liquid Chromatography and Related Technologies, vol. 28: pp. 2571-2580.

Current Grant Support:

MBRS/Support of Continuous Research Excellence (SCORE) Grant. "Role of globotriaosyl ceramide (Gb3 or CD77) in apoptosis in Burkitt's lymphoma." 2004-2008.

Related Interest/Organizations:

American Society for Cell Biology, American Society for Microbiology, International Society for Interferon and Cytokine Research, International Cell Death Society, American Society of Parasitologists, American Association for the Advancement of Science, Georgia Ornithological Society.

Other:
Co-chair, Spelman College Institutional Review Board

Research Interests:

Dr. Maloney has a longstanding interest in the functioning of the immune system, initially in the fields of immunoparasitology and bacterial pathogenesis, and more recently in the area of B cell development. The glycosphingolipid Gb3 (CD77) serves as receptor for the Shiga toxins produced by "Escherichia coli and Shigella. However, the normal cellular functions of Gb3 are less well defined.

Dr. Maloney's research focuses on identifying human proteins that interact with Gb3 and characterizing the cellular functions of Gb3 including its role in apoptosis pathways, cell adhesion and alpha-interferon signal transduction in Blymphocytes and Burkitt lymphoma cells.