Categories
Dr. Robert Renthal
Professor
210-458-5452
Research Interests
1) Insect sensory reception: How is information stored and transferred by social insects? Ant colonies are considered to be prime examples of "self-organizing" systems. We are testing this idea by examining the mechanisms of pheromone signalling by ants, using methods ranging from proteomic analysis and electron microscopy to studies of whole colony behavior.
2) Cell membrane assembly: How are integral membrane proteins assembled in lipid bilayers? Using biophysical and genetic methods, we are studying the oligomerization of multi-subunit integral membrane proteins.
3) Bacterial cytoplasmic protein complexes. We are using luminescence resonance energy transfer to study assembly of filaments and microcompartments in living bacterial cells.
My webpage: http://renthal.utsa.edu/
Recent Publications
Valluru, N., Silva, F., Dhage, M., Rodriguez, G., Alloor, S.R. & Renthal, R. "Transmembrane helix-helix association: relative stabilities at low pH." Biochemistry, 45, 4371-4377 (2006)
Renthal, R. "An Unfolding Story of Helical Transmembrane Proteins." Biochemistry 45, 14559-14566 (2006)
Renthal, R., "Buried water molecules in helical transmembrane proteins." Protein Science 17, 293-298 (2008)
Renthal, R., Velasquez, D., Olmos, D. & Vinson, S.B. "Occurence of antennal glands in ants." Microscopy Research and Technique 71, 787-791 (2008)
González, D., Zhao, Q., McMahan, C., Velasquez, D., Haskins, W.E., Sponsel, V., Cassill, J.A. & Renthal, R. "The major antennal chemosensory protein of red imported fire ant workers." Insect Molecular Biology, 18, 395-404 (2009)
Renthal, R. "Helix insertion into bilayers and the evolution of membrane proteins." Cell. Mol. Life Sci. 67, 1077-1088 (2010)
Bauereis, B., Haskins, W.H., LeBaron, R., Renthal, R. "Proteomic Insights into the Protective Mechanisms of an In Vitro Oxidative Stress Model of Early Stage Parkinson's Disease." Neurosci. Lett. 488, 11-16 (2011)
González, D., Lokhande, N., Vadde, S., Zhao, Q., Cassill, J.A., Renthal, R. "Luminescence Resonance Energy Transfer in the Cytoplasm of Live Escherichia coli Cells." Biochemistry, 50, 6789-6796 (2011)
Renthal, R., Brancaleon, L., Peña, I., Silva, F., Chen, L.Y. "Interaction of a two-transmembrane-helix peptide with lipid bilayers and dodecyl sulfate micelles." Biophys. Chem. 159, 321-327 (2011)