Resume

RÉSUMÉ

Name: Leo Pezzementi
Birth: 9 October 1954
Position: Professor Emeritus of Biology
Address: Division of Science and Mathematics, Birmingham-Southern College,
900 Arkadelphia Road, Birmingham, Alabama 35254
Phone: 205-226-4806/4870
Fax: 205-226-3078
E-mail: lpezzeme@bsc.edu

EDUCATION

State University of New York at Stony Brook, Molecular Biology Program and Pharmacological Sciences Program. Dept. of Biochemistry. Ph.D. awarded August 1982.

La Salle College, Philadelphia, PA. Biology major. B.A. awarded May 1975.

PROFESSIONAL EXPERIENCE

University of California at San Diego School of Medicine, La Jolla, California. Visiting Scholar (January 2003-July 2003). Laboratory of Dr. Palmer Taylor, Department of Pharmacology.

Ecole Normale Supérieure, Laboratoire de Neurobiologie, Paris, France. Invited Professor (June 1992-August 1992). NSF-CNRS Fellow (July 1990-July 1991). Laboratory of Dr. Jean Massoulié.

Case-Western Reserve University School of Medicine, Cleveland, OH. Visiting Scientist (June 1988-August 1988). Laboratory of Dr. Terrone Rosenberry, Department of Pharmacology.

University of Alabama at Birmingham, University of Alabama School of Medicine, Birmingham, AL. Adjunct Assistant Professor of Psychiatry (1988-1992).

Birmingham-Southern College, Birmingham, AL. Professor Emeritus of Biology (2015-present). Chair, Division of Science and Mathematics (1997-2001). Professor of Biology (1996-2015). Associate Professor of Biology (1988-1996). Assistant Professor of Biology (1985-1988).

Oberlin College, Oberlin, OH. Visiting Assistant Professor of Biology (1983, 1984-1985) and Chemistry (1984).

Franklin and Marshall College, Lancaster, PA. Visiting Assistant Professor of Biology (1982-1983).

RESEARCH INTERESTS

Acetylcholinesterase (AChE) is a serine hydrolase whose primary function is the hydrolysis of acetylcholine at cholinergic synapses of animals. Humans and other vertebrates have another evolutionarily related cholinesterase, butyrylcholinesterase (BChE), which appears to act as a scavenger of a variety of toxins in the body. Cholinesterases (ChEs) are of considerable physiological, pharmacological, toxicological, and insecticidal interest. My laboratory has been interested in the structure, function, and evolution of the cholinesterases - acetylcholinesterase (AChE) and butyrylcholinesterase (BChE). We have been particularly interested in the evolution of the molecular basis of substrate and inhibitor specificity of AChE and BChE in the animal kingdom, with its implications for insecticides, and the evolutionary appearance of the heterologous, tailed forms in craniates.

GRANTS ($566,529 for BSC; $1,066,529 total)

Associated Colleges of the South. “Alabama Medicinal Garden: Engaged Learning at the Birmingham-Southern College Ecoscape.” $7,500. (January 2013-November 2013)

National Institutes of Health Academic Research Enhancement Award. “Acetylcholinesterase: A Comparative Biochemical Approach.” $201,000. Award No. 1 R15 GM072510-01.(April 2005-March 2009).

W. M. Keck Foundation Grant. "Focusing on the Reform of Science Education for Non-Science Majors." $500,000 to Trinity University on behalf of the Associated Colleges of the South, with Ed Roy, Wayne Anderson, Preston Miles, John Snyder, Tim Ward, Andy Newcomb, and Beth Bowser. (August 2003-August 2006).

National Science Foundation Course, Curriculum, and Laboratory Improvement Grant. "A Collaborative Recombinant DNA Technology Course with Laboratory." $20,383. Grant No. DUE-9950225. (August 1999-July 2001).

National Science Foundation Research at Undergraduate Institutions Grant. "Evolution of Cholinesterase In Vivo and In Vitro. $111,684. Grant No. IBN-9319354. (May 1994-April 1998).

National Science Foundation Research at Undergraduate Institutions Grant. "Evolution of Acetylcholinesterase." $124,357. Grant No. BNS-9010710. (Sept. 1990-February 1994).

National Institutes of Health -- Centre National de la Recherche Scientifique Fellowship. Laboratory of Dr. Jean Massoulié, Laboratoire de Neurobiologie, Ecole Normale Supérieure. 120,000FF (~$24,000). (July 1990-June 1991).

National Institutes of Health Academic Research Enhancement Award. "Characterization of Lamprey Acetylcholinesterase." $47,559. Award No. 1 R15 NS24943-01 (August 1987-August 1990).

National Science Foundation College Science Instrumentation Program. "Equipment for a Modern Undergraduate Cell Biology Laboratory." $22,046. Award No. CSI-8750089. (July 1987-December 1989).

Research Corporation Cottrell College Science Grant. "Characterization of Molecular Forms of Acetylcholinesterase from Skeletal Muscle of Lamprey." $8,000. (December 1984-October 1988).

SELECTED PROFESSIONAL RESPONSIBILITIES, HONORS, ORGANIZATIONS

Richebourg Gaillard McWilliams Faculty Scholarship Award, 2010.

Phi Beta Kappa, 2006.

Biology Councilor, Council on Undergraduate Research (1989-1992), member (1988-2010), editor of Research in Biology at Primarily Undergraduate Institutions, 3rd edition (1993-1995), institutional liaison (1994-1998; 2001-2005).

Society for Neuroscience (1982-1989, 1992-2001).

American Society for Biochemistry and Molecular Biology (2000-2015).

Reviewer, National Science Foundation, Instrumentation and Laboratory Improvement, Research at Undergraduate Institutions, Beginning Investigator, and Pre-doctoral Fellowship Programs; National Institutes of Health, Academic Research Enhancement Award Program.

NIH Predoctoral Traineeship in Pharmacology (1977-1980).

SELECTED CAMPUS RESPONSIBILITIES

Co-Chair, Science Building Planning Committee (1998-2002). Construction of the $24 million Elton B. Stephens Science Center was completed in May 2002.

Chair, General Education Committee (1997-1998), led the development of "Expanding the Paradigm of General Education."

Faculty Advisory Committee (1992-1996, 2003-2006); Chair (1993-1994), led development of “Recommendations to Improve Faculty Morale”; Chair (2003-2004), represented faculty views in the presidential search process; Co-chair (2004-2005), led revision of the charge of the committee as defined in the Faculty Handbook and Bylaws; Co-chair (2005-2006), led development of Faculty Ecumenical Statement, and discussions on the future of the College, including transition from NCAA Division I to Division III; elected member (1992-1994, 1995-1996, 2003-2006).

Quality Enhancement Program, Topic Selection Committee (2011-2012), member; Development Committee (2012-2013), Chair, Undergraduate Research Sub-committee.

Faculty Development Committee, elected member (1989-1990).

Promotion and Tenure Committee, elected member (2001-2002).

Faculty Advisor, Tri-Beta Biological Honor Society (1987-1990; 1991-1994), initiated campus-wide aluminum recycling program.

Radiation Safety Officer (1987-2015), obtained radioisotope license for Biology Department.

Research Integrity Officer (1995-2015), helped establish guidelines for investigation of scientific fraud.

21st Century Coordinating Committee, member (1995-2000).

PUBLICATIONS (undergraduate students are underlined)

Leo Pezzementi, Cybil Geiss, William King, Nicolas Lenfant, and Arnaud Chatonnet. 2015. Molecular characterization of an acetylcholinesterase from the hemichordate Saccoglossus kowalevskii. Comp. Biochem. Physiol. B Biochem. Mol. Biol. 181, 50-58.

Leo Pezzementi, Eric Krejci, Arnaud Chatonnet, Murray Selkirk, and Jacqui Matthews. 2012. A tetrameric acetylcholinesterase from the parasitic nematode Dictyocaulus viviparus associates with the vertebrate tail proteins PRiMA and ColQ. Mol. Biochem. Parasitol. 181, 40-48.

Leo Pezzementi, Florian Nachon, and Arnaud Chatonnet. 2011. Evolution of acetylcholinesterase and butyrylcholinesterase in the vertebrates: an atypical butyrylcholinesterase from the medaka Oryzias latipes. PLoS One, 6, e17396

Leo Pezzementi and Arnaud Chatonnet. 2010. Evolution of cholinesterases in the animal kingdom. Chem. Biol. Interact., 187, 27-33.

Brian Perrin, Melissa Rowland, Matthew Wolfe, Igor Tsigelny, and Leo Pezzementi. 2008. Thermal denaturation of wild type and mutant recombinant acetylcholinesterase from amphioxus: effects of the temperature of in vitro expression and of reversible inhibitors. Invert. Neurosci., 8, 147-155.

Melissa Rowland, Igor Tsigelny, Matthew Wolfe, and Leo Pezzementi. 2008. Inactivation of an invertebrate acetylcholinesterase by sulfhydryl reagents: A reconsideration of the implications for insecticide design. Chem. Biol. Interact., 175, 73-75.

Adam Frederick, Igor Tsigelny, Francis Cohenour, Christopher Spiker, Eric Krejci, Arnaud Chatonnet, Stefan Bourgoin, Greg Richards, Tessa Allen, Mary Hollace Whitlock, and Leo Pezzementi. 2008. Acetylcholinesterase from the invertebrate Ciona intestinalis is capable of assembling into asymmetric forms when co-expressed with vertebrate collagenic tail peptide. FEBS J., 275, 1309-1322.

Natalie Jennings, Leo Pezzementi, A. L. Lawrence, and Stephen A. Watts. 2008. Acetylcholinesterase in the sea urchin Lytechinus variegatus: Characterization and developmental expression in larvae. Comp Biochem Physiol B Biochem Mol Biol., 149(3), 401-409.

Leo Pezzementi. 2008. Science for All: The Associated Colleges of the South Story. Project Kaleidoscope, 5 pp.

Raj Patel, Rachael Sanders, Lance Brown, Stephanie Baker, Igor Tsigelny, and Leo Pezzementi. 2006. A tryptophan in the bottleneck of the catalytic gorge of an invertebrate acetylcholinesterase confers relative resistance to carbamate and organophosphate inhibitors. Cell Bioch. Biophys., 46, 253-264.

Leo Pezzementi, Melissa Rowland, Matthew Wolfe, and Igor Tsigelny. 2006. Inactivation of an invertebrate acetylcholinesterase by sulfhydryl reagents: the roles of two cysteines in the catalytic gorge. Invert. Neurosci., 6, 47-55.

Leo Pezzementi, Jianxin Shi, David A. Johnson, Zoran Radic, Aileen Boyd, and Palmer Taylor. 2005. Ligand-induced Conformational changes in residues flanking the active site gorge of acetylcholinesterase. Chem. Biol. Interact., 157-158, 413-414.

Leo Pezzementi, Kim Johnson, Igor Tsigelny, Justin Cotney, Andrew Barker, Elizabeth Manning, and Sarah Merritt. 2003. Amino acids defining the acyl pocket of an invertebrate cholinesterase, Comp. Biochem Physiol. B. Mol. Biol. Biochem. 136, 813-832.

Leo Pezzementi and Joy F. Johnson. 2002. A collaborative, investigative recombinant DNA technology course with laboratory. Biochemistry and Molecular Biology Education, 30, 376-379.

James Scott McClellan, William Blake Coblentz, Mathew Sapp, Gabriel Rulewicz, David Isaac Gaines, Ashley Hawkins, Caroline Ozment, Amy Bearden, Sarah Merritt, John Cunningham, Elizabeth Palmer, Amir Contractor, and Leo Pezzementi. 1998. cDNA cloning, in vitro expression, and biochemical characterization of cholinesterase 1 and cholinesterase 2 from amphioxus: comparison with cholinesterase 1 and cholinesterase 2 produced in vivo. Eur. J. Biochem., 258, 419-429.

Leo Pezzementi, David Sutherland, Michael Sanders, Weily Soong, Daniel Milner, James Scott McClellan, Mathew Sapp, William Blake Coblentz, Gabriel Rulewicz, and Sarah Merritt. 1998. Structure and function of cholinesterases from agnathans and cephalochordates: implications for the evolution of the cholinesterases. In Structure and Function of Cholinesterases and Related Proteins, (B.P. Doctor, P. Taylor, D.M. Quinn, R.L. Rotundo, and M.K. Gentry, eds.), Plenum Press: New York, pp. 105-110.

David Sutherland, Scott McClellan, Danny Milner, Weily Soong, Neal Axon, Michael Sanders, Alison Hester, Yu-Hsing Kao, Ted Poczatek, Sheri Routt, Amir Contractor and Leo Pezzementi. 1997. Two cholinesterase activities and genes are present in amphioxus. Journal of Experimental Zoology, 277, 213-229.

Michael Sanders, Bonnie Mathews, David Sutherland, Weily Soong, Harry Giles, and Leo Pezzementi. 1996. Biochemical and molecular characterization of acetylcholinesterase from the hagfish Myxine glutinosa. Comp. Biochem. Physiol. 115B, 97-109.

Leo Pezzementi. 1994. Research in Biology at Primarily Undergraduate Institutions. Council on Undergraduate Research, Collegiate Research Association of Biologists: Asheville, NC, 344 pp.

Jean Massoulié, Leo Pezzementi, Suzanne Bon, Eric Krejci, and François-Marie Vallette. 1993. Molecular and cellular biology of cholinesterases. Progress in Neurobiology 41, 31-91.

Christopher Atkins and Leo Pezzementi. 1993. Developmental changes in the molecular forms of acetylcholinesterase during the life cycle of the lamprey. Comparative Biochem. Physiol. 106B, 369-372.

Leo Pezzementi, Michael Sanders, Todd Jenkins, Dan Holliman, Jean-Pierre Toutant, and Ronald J. Bradley. 1991. Structure and function of cholinesterase from amphioxus. In, Cholinesterases: structure, function, mechanism, genetics and cell biology (J. Massoulié, F. Bacou, E. A. Barnard, A. Chatonnet, B.P. Doctor, and D.M. Quinn, eds.). American Chemical Society: Wash., D.C., pp 24-31.

Howell Heflin/Leo Pezzementi. 1990. Remarks of Dr. Leo Pezzementi, Birmingham-Southern College. Congressional Record-Senate S10899.

Leo Pezzementi. 1990. NIH AREA Program from the perspective of undergraduate research. Council on Undergraduate Research Newsletter 11, 57-60.

Leo Pezzementi, Hugh C. Nickson, Robert Dunn, and Ronald J. Bradley. 1989. Molecular forms of acetylcholinesterase from the skeletal muscle of the ammocoete of the lamprey Petromyzon marinus. Comp. Biochem. Physiol. 92B, 385-387.

Leo Pezzementi, Hugh C. Nickson, and Ronald J. Bradley. 1988. Lamprey brain contains globular and asymmetric forms of acetylcholinesterase. Neurochem. Int. 12, 131-135.

Leo Pezzementi, Ellen J. Reinheimer, and Maureen Pezzementi. 1987. Acetylcholinesterase from the skeletal muscle of the lamprey Petromyzon marinus exists in globular and asymmetric forms. J. Neurochem. 48, 1753-1760.

Scott W. Melanson, Chang-Hyon Yun, Maureen Pezzementi, and Leo Pezzementi. 1985. Characterization of acetylcholinesterase activity from Drosophila melanogaster. Comp. Biochem. Physiol. 81C, 87-96.

Mark Schneider, Bih-Hwa Shieh, Leo Pezzementi and Jakob Schmidt. 1984. Trifluoperazine stimulates acetylcholine receptor synthesis in chick skeletal muscle cell cultures. J. Neurochem. 42, 1395-1401.

Bih-Hwa Shieh, Leo Pezzementi and Jakob Schmidt. 1983. Extracellular potassium and the regulation of acetylcholine receptor synthesis in chick skeletal muscle cell cultures. Brain Research, 259-265.

Leo Pezzementi and Jakob Schmidt. 1981. Ryanodine alters acetylcholine receptor synthesis in chick skeletal muscle cell cultures. J. Biol. Chem. 256, 12561-12564.

Leo Pezzementi and Jakob Schmidt. 1981. Rapid modulation of acetylcholine receptor synthesis. FEBS Letters 135, 103-106.

Nisson Schechter, Indhira C. Handy, Leo Pezzementi, and Jakob Schmidt. 1978. Distribution of a-bungarotoxin binding sites in the central nervous system and the peripheral organs of the rat. Toxicon 16, 245-251.

ABSTRACTS

Leo Pezzementi, Abigail E. Dy, Lauren Nicholas S. Herrera, Avirath N. Purohit, Megan M. Sandlin, Janelle T. West. 2012. Do the MRL proteins – MIG-10, RIAM, and Lamellipodin – interact with acetylcholinesterase and butrylcholinesterase? Eleventh International Meeting on Cholinesterases (Kazan, Russia): Program and Abstracts, 103.

Leo Pezzementi, Nicolas Lenfant, and Arnaud Chatonnet. 2012. Cholinesterases in Saccoglossus kowalevskii (hemicordata): cloning, in vitro expression, and molecular characterisation. Eleventh International Meeting on cholinesterases (Kazan, Russia): Program and Abstracts, 217.

Leo Pezzementi and Arnaud Chatonnet. 2009. Evolution of vertebrate cholinesterases: an intermediate cholinesterase from the teleost fish, the medaka (Oryzias latipes). Tenth International Meeting on cholinesterases (Sibenik, Croatia): Program and Abstracts, 34.

Leo Pezzementi and Arnaud Chatonnet. 2009. Evolution of cholinesterases in the animal kingdom. Tenth International Meeting on cholinesterases (Sibenik, Croatia): Program and Abstracts, 34.

Leo Pezzementi, Brian Davis, Robert Kress, Brendan Burn, Ashley Russell, Elizabeth Molony, Tia Barclay, Jeffrey Lucas, Julie Johnson, Brian Perrin, Claire Anderson, Igor Tsigelny, Eric Krejci. 2009. The effect of Ser20 T-peptide mutations on the tetramerization of Ciona intestinalis AChE and its association with the proline-rich membrane anchor, PRiMA. Tenth International Meeting on cholinesterases (Sibenik): Program and Abstracts, 84-85.

Adam Frederick, Igor Tsigelny, Frances Cohenour, Christopher Spiker, Eric Krejci, Arnaud Chatonnet, Stefan Bourgoin, Greg Richards, Tessa Allen, Mary Hollace Whitlock, and Leo Pezzementi. 2007. In vitro expression, kinetic, pharmacologic, molecular, and evolutionary anayses, and molecular modeling of a recombinant acetylcholinesterase from the invertebrate urochordate Ciona intestinalis: assembly of asymmetric forms with ColQ. Ninth International Meeting on Cholinesterases (Suzhou, China): Program Book, 24.

Melissa Rowland, Igor Tsigelny, Matthew Wolfe, and Leo Pezzementi. 2007. Inactivation of an invertebrate acetylcholinesterase by sulfhydryl reagents and elevated temperature. Ninth International Meeting on Cholinesterases (Suzhou, China): Program Book, 87.

Natalie A. Jennings, Leo Pezzementi, Micki L. Powell, A.L. Lawrence, and Stephen A. Watts. 2007. Characterization of acetylcholinesterase in the sea urchin Lytechinus variegates. Ninth International Meeting on Cholinesterases (Suzhou, China): Program Book, 94.

Raj Patel, Rachel Sander, Lance Brown, Stephanie Baker, Igor Tsigelny, and Leo Pezzementi. 2007. A tryptophan in the bottleneck of the catalytic gorge of an invertebrate acetylcholinesterase confers resistance to carbamates and organophosphate inhibitors. Ninth International Meeting on Cholinesterases (Suzhou, China): Program Book, 114.

Leo Pezzementi, Kim Johnson, Justin Cotney, Andrew Barker, and Elizabeth Manning. 2004. Amino acids involved in substrate and inhibitor specificity in cholinesterase 2 from amphioxus. In Cholinesterases in the Second Millennium: Biomolecular and Pathological Aspects, (N.C. Inestrosa and E.O. Campos, eds.), MIFAB: Santiago, Chile, p.370.

Leo Pezzementi, Justin Cotney, and Brett Earley. 2002. Probing the molcular basis of the substrate and inhibitor specificities of cholinesterase 1 and cholinesterase 2 from amphioxus. Experimental Biology, ASBMB, 2002, 426.1.

Leo Pezzementi and Joy F. Johnson. 2002. A collaborative recombinant DNA course with laboratory. Experimental Biology, ASBMB, 2002, 684.8.

Leo Pezzementi and Larry Fish. 2001. A collaborative recombinant DNA course with laboratory. The Journal of the Alabama Academy of Science, 72, 125.

Leo Pezzementi, David Sutherland, Michael Sanders, Weily Soong, Daniel Milner, James Scott McClellan, Mathew Sapp, William Blake Coblentz, Gabriel Rulewicz, and Sarah Merritt. 1998. Structure and function of cholinesterases from agnathans and cephalochordates: implications for the evolution of the cholinesterases. The Sixth International Meeting on Cholinesterases (La Jolla, CA): Program and Abstracts, 5.

Leo Pezzementi, David Sutherland, Michael Sanders, Weily Soong, Daniel Milner, James Scott McClellan, Mathew Sapp, William Blake Coblentz, Gabriel Rulewicz, and Sarah Merritt. 1998. Pharmacological and molecular analysis of cholinesterases from agnathans and cephalochordates: implications for the evolution of resistance to cholinesterase inhibitors. Sixth International Meeting on Cholinesterases (La Jolla, CA): Program and Abstracts, 17.

James Scott McClellan, William Blake Coblentz, Mathew Sapp, Gabriel Rulewicz, David Isaac Gaines, Ashley Hawkins, Caroline Ozment, Amy Bearden, Sarah Merritt, John Cunningham, Elizabeth Palmer, Amir Contractor, and Leo Pezzementi. 1998. cDNA cloning, in vitro expression, and biochemical characterization of cholinesterase 1 and cholinesterase 2 from amphioxus: comparison with cholinesterase 1 and cholinesterase 2 produced in vivo. Sixth International Meeting on Cholinesterases (La Jolla, CA): Program and Abstracts, A5.

Leo Pezzementi, Rick Jotani, Bonnie Mathews, Danny Milner, and Weily Soong. 1995 Is butyrylcholinesterase present in primitive chordates? Soc. Neurosci. Abstr. 20, 839.4.

Leo Pezzementi, Michael Sanders, Michael Miller, Kristin Glaese, and Lee Ann Shannon. 1994. Identification of globular and asymmetric forms of an intermediate cholinesterase in amphioxus: implications for the evolution of the cholinesterases in the vertebrates. Soc. Neurosci. Abstr. 20, 409.10.

Leo Pezzementi, Weily Soong, David Sutherland, Michael Sanders and Harry Giles. 1993. Evolutionary origins of cholinesterase duality in the vertebrates. Soc. Neurosci. Abstr. 19, 378.12.

Leo Pezzementi, Weily Soong, David Sutherland, Michael Sanders and Harry Giles. 1993. Molecular probing of the evolutionary origins of cholinesterase duality (Abstr.). J. Neurochem. 61 (Suppl.), S146D.

Leo Pezzementi, Michael Sanders, Todd Jenkins, Jean-Pierre Toutant and Ronald J. Bradley. 1990. Structure and Function of cholinesterase from amphioxus. Third International Meeting on Cholinesterases (La Grande Motte, France), p.5.

Leo Pezzementi. 1989. Evolutionary and developmental implications of the structure of acetylcholinesterase from the lamprey Petromyzon marinus. J. Alabama Acad. Sci. 60, 125.

Leo Pezzementi, Hugh Nickson, Robert Dunn and Ronald J. Bradley. 1987. Molecular forms of acetylcholinesterase from adult lamprey brain and ammocoete skeletal muscle. Soc. Neurosci. Abstr. 13, 286.10.

Leo Pezzementi, Ellen Reinheimer and Maureen Pezzementi. 1985. Acetylcholinesterase from lamprey skeletal muscle is found in globular and asymmetric forms. Soc. Neurosci. Abstr. 11, 12.17.

Leo Pezzementi. 1984. Acetylcholinesterase from the skeletal muscle of the lamprey. 1984. Soc. Neurosci. Abstr. 10, 140.7.

Mark Schneider, Bih-Hwa Shieh, Leo Pezzementi and Jakob Schmidt. 1983. The effect of trifluoperazine on AChR synthesis in cultured chick myotubes. Soc. Neurosci. Abstr. 9, 18.1.

Bih-Hwa Shieh, Leo Pezzementi and Jakob Schmidt. 1982. Membrane potential and the regulation of AChR synthesis in embryonic chick skeletal muscle cells. Soc. Neurosci. Abstr. 8, 205.9

Leo Pezzementi and Jakob Schmidt. 1981. Acetylcholine receptor synthesis of chick skeletal muscle cell cultures is altered by ryanodine. Soc. Neurosci. Abstr. 7, 259.4.

Back to the Leo Pezzementi Home Page