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John G. Moner
Professor Emeritus
jmoner@bio.umass.edu
Education
B.A., Johns Hopkins,1949
Ph.D., Princeton, 1953
Postdoctoral
1961-1962 Carlsberg Foundation, Denmark
1968-1969 University of California, San Diego
1984-1985 MIT, Cambridge, MA
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Research Interests
Physiology and Biochemistry of Protozoan Cell Cycle
Since they can often be grown easily, in great abundance, protozoa make good subjects for the study of various eukaryotic cellular functions. In particular, the ciliate, Tetrahymena can be heat synchronized or starved and refed to produce cultures that divide in unison to provide a tool for exploring the temporal nature of physiological or molecular events. Through the use of both synchronized and unsynchronized cells it has been possible for us to study a variety of phenomena related to cell division. Early work was concerned with the mechanism of heat-induced synchronization and, to this end, temperature shock effects on RNA, DNA, and protein synthesis were a primary focus. Related to this were studies on the nature of specific enzymes concerned with RNA precursor metabolism and the characteristics of the transport system involved with nucleoside uptake. More recently the system has been used to examine changes in nuclear protein profiles as cells proceed through a division cycle. Currently, emphasis has shifted to an interest in the Tetrahymena cytoskeleton, the localization of myosin in cytoskeletal structure and changes in such localization as a function of the division cycle.
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Representative Publications
Moner, J.G. 1972. The effects of temperature and heavy water on cell division in heat-synchronized cells of Tetrahymena. J. Protozool. 19: 382-385.
Freeman, M. and J.G. Moner. 1976. The uptake of pyrimidine nucleosides in Tetrahymena I. Uridine. J. Protozool. 23: 465-472.
Plunkett, W.R. and J.G. Moner. 1978. UMP pyro-phosphorylase of Tetrahymena. Partial purification and properties. Arch. Biochem. Biophys. 187: 267-271.
Hixon, W.G. and J.G. Moner. 1980. Effects of heat shock on DNA synthesis in pyrimidine-starved and refed cells of Tetrahymena pyriformis. J. Protozool. 27: 27a.
Moner, J.G. 1987. The animal cell. 147 Carolina Biological Reader. Carolina Biol. Supply Co., Burlington, NC.
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