Alberto A. Rascón, Jr.

Associate Professor, Biochemistry
408-924-4969
alberto.rascon@sjsu.edu
DH 612

• B.S. Chemistry, California State University Bakersfield, 2002
• Ph.D. Biochemistry, University of Arizona, 2010
• NIH/NIGMS IRACDA Postdoctoral Scholar, University of California, San Francisco, 2011-2013

Expression, characterization, and inhibition of mosquito proteases.

• Simington, C.J., Oscherwitz, M.E., Peterson, A.J., Rascón, A.A., Jr., Massani, B.B., Miesfeld, R.L., and Isoe, J. (2020) Characterization of essential eggshell proteins from Aedes aegypti mosquitoes. bioRxiv. https://doi.org/10.1101/2020.04.06.027706.
• Isoe, J., Koch, L.E., Isoe, Y.E., Rascón, A.A., Jr., Brown, H.E., Massani, B.B., and Miesfeld, R.L. (2019) Identification and characterization of the mosquito-specific eggshell organizing factor from Aedes aegypti mosquitoes. PLoS Biol. 17(1): e3000068.
• Nguyen, J.T., Fong, J., Fong, D., Fong, T., Lucero, R.M., Gallimore, J.M., Burata, O.E., Parungao, K.A. and Rascón, A.A. Jr.* (2018) Soluble Expression of Recombinant Midgut Zymogen (Native Propeptide) Proteases from the Aedes aegypti Mosquito Utilizing E. coli as a Host. BMC Biochem.19(1). *Corresponding Author.
• Long, T., Rojo-Arreola, L., Shi, D., El-Sakkary, N., Jarnigan, K., Rock, F., Mewan, M., Rascón, A.A., Jr., Lin, L., Cunningham, K.A., Lemieux, G.A., Podust, L., Abagyan, R., Ashrafi, K., McKerrow, J.H., and Caffrey, C.R. (2017) Phenotypic, chemical and functional characterization of cyclic nucleotide phosphodiesterase 4 (PDE4) as a potential anthelmintic drug target. PLoS Negl. Trop. Dis. 11(7): e0005680.
• Bulman, C.A., Bidlow, C.M., Lustigman, S., Cho-Ngwa, F., Williams, D., Rascón, A.A., Jr., Tricoche, N., Samje, M., Bell, A., Suzuki, B., Lim, K.C., Rojo-Arreola, L., Supakorndej, N., Supakorndej, P., Wolfe, A., Chen, S., Wilson, C., Ang, K.H., Arkin, M., Franklin, C., Marcellino, C, McKerrow, J.H., Debnath, A., and Sakanari, J. (2015) FDA-Approved Auranofin as a Lead Candidate for Treatment of Lymphatic Filariasis and Onchocerciasis. PLoS Negl. Trop. Dis. 9(2): e0003534.
• Rascón, A.A., Jr.* and McKerrow, J.H. (2013) Synthetic and Natural Protease Inhibitors Provide Insights Into Parasite Development, Virulence, and Pathogenesis. Curr. Med. Chem. 20(25), 3078-3102. *Corresponding Author.
• Rascón, A.A., Jr., Gearin, J.J., Isoe, J., and Miesfeld, R.L. (2011) In vitro Activation and Enzyme Kinetic Analysis of Recombinant Midgut Serine Proteases From the Dengue Vector Mosquito Aedes aegypti. BMC Biochem. 12:43.
• Isoe, J., Rascón, A.A., Jr., Kunz, S., and Miesfeld, R.L. (2009) Molecular Genetic Analysis of Midgut Serine Proteases in Aedes aegypti Mosquitoes. Insect Biochem. Mol. Biol. 39(12), 903-912.