Richard Ludueña, PhD, Professor

Room:	438D
Phone:	210-5673732
Email:	luduena@uthscsa.edu
Web Page(s):
Education:	Ph.D., Stanford University 1973
Post Doctoral:	Stanford University 1973-1976

Research Interest:

Dr. Luduena's research focuses on the isotypes of tubulin, specifically on elucidating their biological functions in normal and cancerous cells and exploring their possible utility as targets for novel chemotherapeutic approaches. Research in the laboratory applies to many kinds of cancer with a special emphasis in breast cancer. Recent work has explored the beta-III isotype of tubulin. Beta-III is a promising target since it is common in cancers, particularly more advanced cases, and relatively rare in normal tissues. Dr. Luduena's group of collaborators has found 1) beta-III is widespread in more aggressive breast cancers; 2) beta-III is resistant to superoxide anion; and 3) beta-III, when mixed with other isotypes, conveys this resistance to them. In addition, Dr. Luduena and his colleagues are engaged in designing drugs with higher specificity toward beta-III. Some of these drugs have been synthesized and tested in culture; a few of these seem to be four orders of magnitude more effective against tumor cells than against normal cells. In a related project, the beta-V isotype is also being studied to determine its distribution in normal and cancerous tissues.

Selected publications:

• Direct involvement of the isotype-specific C-terminus of beta tubulin in ciliary beating.
  Vent J, Wyatt TA, Smith DD, Banerjee A, Ludueña RF, Sisson JH, Hallworth R
  J Cell Sci: 2005-10-01; 118(Pt 19); 4333-41     Epub: 2005-09-13.
  PMID: 16159957    LINK:
• The interaction of the B-ring of colchicine with alpha-tubulin: a novel footprinting approach.
  Chaudhuri AR, Seetharamalu P, Schwarz PM, Hausheer FH, Ludueña RF
  J Mol Biol: 2000-11-10; 303(5); 679-92
  PMID: 11061968    LINK:
• Microtubule dynamics in vitro are regulated by the tubulin isotype composition.
  Panda D, Miller HP, Banerjee A, Ludueña RF, Wilson L
  Proc Natl Acad Sci U S A: 1994-11-22; 91(24); 11358-62
  PMID: 7972064    LINK:
• Kinetics of colchicine binding to purified beta-tubulin isotypes from bovine brain.
  Banerjee A, Luduena RF
  J Biol Chem: 1992-07-05; 267(19); 13335-9
  PMID: 1618835    LINK:
• Preparation of a monoclonal antibody specific for the class IV isotype of beta-tubulin. Purification and assembly of alpha beta II, alpha beta III, and alpha beta IV tubulin dimers from bovine brain.
  Banerjee A, Roach MC, Trcka P, Luduena RF
  J Biol Chem: 1992-03-15; 267(8); 5625-30
  PMID: 1544937    LINK:

Complete Publication Listing