Faculty · Staff · Graduate Students

Linda A. Hufnagel

Present Research

• Cell and Molecular Biology of Cilioprotists and Cnidaria


• Taxonomic Diversity of Cilioprotists of southeastern New England

Research interests:

• Cell and Molecular Biology of Cilioprotists and Cnidaria
• • Identification and spatial/temporal characterization of cell-cell signaling and signal transduction pathways that control mating activity and mating type determination in ciliates; molecular aspects of early cell-cell interactions during conjugation are being investigated using immunocytochemistry, specific inhibitory drugs and in silico analysis of genomes. RNAi approaches are being developed.
  • Spatial analysis of the signaling pathways that control nematocyst discharge and tentacle contraction in Hydra (collaborator: G. Kass-Simon, Biological Sciences, URI); In these studies, we are using immunocytochemistry to characterize the distribution of receptors for excitatory and inhibitory neurotransmitters in tentacles of Hydra, with an emphasis on receptors for glutamate, GABA and glycine. Planned studies include the identification and characterization of genes coding for these receptors.
  • The role of actin in phagocytosis and motility in cilioprotists (collaborator with R. Zackroff, Mass. College of Pharmacy)
  
  
  

Selected Publications:

• Hufnagel, LA, 1992. Cortical Ultrastructure and chemoreception in ciliated protists (Ciliophora). Micr. Res. Techn. 22:225-264.

• Hufnagel, LA, 1992. Conjugation in Tetrahymena thermophila, in Protocols in Protozoology, J.J. Lee and A.T. Soldo, eds, Soc. of Protozool./Allen Press, E2.1.

• Cheng, L-J and L.A. Hufnagel, 1992. Ciliary polypeptides and glycoconjugates of wild type and mutant Tetrahymena thermophila: Starved versus nonstarved. Devel. Genet., 13:26-33.

• Hufnagel, L.A. 1996. The Rhode Island Cilioprotist Micrograzer Survey: A student-assisted multimedia archive for teaching, research and environmental management. Newsletter of the Rhode Island Natural History Survey. 3(2):2-4.
  
  
• Driscoll, C.A. and Hufnagel, L.A. 1997. Affinity purified ConA-binding ciliary polypeptides from starved and fed Tetrahymena thermophila. J. Euk. Microbiol., abstract in press; full length MS submitted.
  
  
• Zackroff, R.V. and Hufnagel, L.A. 1997. Relative potencies of different cytochalasins for inhibition of phagocytosis in ciliates. Molec. Biol. Cell. 7:2625.
  
  
• Zackroff, R.V. and Hufnagel, L.A. 1997. Effects of cytochalasins on phagocytosis, contraction and ciliary motility in ciliates. Proc. 10th Int. Congr. Protozool., Sydney, p. 219.
  
  
• Hufnagel, L.A., Studer, L. and Kass-Simon, G. 1997. Localization of GluR 5,6,7 in macerates and tissue pieces of hydra. Proc. 7th Int. Workshop on Hydroid Development, Tutzing, Germany
  

• Zackroff, R.V. and Hufnagel, L.A. 1998. Relative potencies of different cytochalasins for the inhibition of phagocytosis in ciliates. J. Euk. Microbiol., 45:397-403.
  

• Driscoll, C., and Hufnagel, L.A., (1999) Affinity-purification of Concanavalin A-binding ciliary glycoconjugates of starved and feeding Tetrahymena thermophila. J. Euk. Microbiol., in press.