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Faculty Profile Last Modified Time: 01:51:48 PM Mon, 20 Apr 2020   Contact Information Mariano Garcia-Blanco Associated Profiles  Professor and Chair, Biochemistry and Molecular Biology, UT Medical Branch at Galveston     maragarc@utmb.edu     (409) 772-2271    Web Link    Lab Webpage    Alternative Splicing, Exons, Spliceosomes, RNA, RNA Precursors, Dengue Virus, Trans-Splicing, Polypyrimidine Tract-Binding Protein    Associated Profiles Professional Preparation Research and Expertise Appointments  Professional Preparation  Degree Major Institution Year  PhD Biochemistry Yale University    MD Molecular Biophysics Yale University    BA Biochemical Sciences Harvard University    Research and Expertise Research Interests   Dr. Garcia-Blanco has dedicated his career to study how RNA-protein interactions regulate gene expression in cells and viruses. These studies have focused on several areas of high biomedical importance and focus on the intersection between RNA biology and immunity. The first project deals with RNA binding proteins that regulate immunity and their dysregulation in autoimmunity. In collaboration with Dr. Simon Gregory (Duke University), Dr. Garcia-Blanco and colleagues showed that alternative splicing of the interleukin 7 receptor (IL7R) transcripts regulates levels of soluble IL7R and confers increased risk for multiple sclerosis (MS), an autoimmune disorder of the central nervous system. Dr. Garcia-Blanco's group dissected the regulation of this splicing event and uncovered the identity of important trans-acting regulators. Recently they discovered that the RNA helicase DDX39B is a critical activator of IL7R exon 6 splicing and reduced levels of DDX39B, an activator of exon 6 inclusion, leads to increased production of soluble IL7R in cells in culture, and is associated with increased risk for MS in human populations. Indeed, in collaboration with several groups at Duke and Case West Reserve universities they found there is an epistatic interaction between the RNA helicase DDX39B and the IL7R genes that explains increase risk of multiple sclerosis and likely other autoimmune disorders. Dr. Garcia-Blanco has embarked on a second program of investigation: RNA-protein interactions important for pathogenic flaviviruses: dengue, yellow fever and Zika viruses. He and his colleagues have identified human and mosquito host factors, many of which are RNA binding proteins (RBPs), that positively or negatively impact on Flavivirus replication. The information gained from these studies has given important mechanistic insights into how important pathogens replicate and how they evade human and mosquito immunity. This project has highlighted the importance of a noncoding RNA produced by flaviviruses (the flaviviral subgenomic RNA or sfRNA) that is a potent negative regulator of innate immunity in both humans and mosquitos.  Publications/Creative Works Click here to search for this faculty member's publications on PubMed.  Appointments Title Department / School Institution Professor and Chair Biochemistry and Molecular Biology UT Medical Branch at Galveston

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