Alice Hudder
Associate Center Investigator

NIEHS-MFBSC
4600 Rickenbacker Cswy
Marine Biology and Fisheries
Rosenstiel School of Marine and Atmospheric Science
Miami, FL 33149
Phone: 305-421-4166
FAX: 305-421-4600

Email: ahudder@rsmas.miami.edu

Biography

Education

Research Interests

I. Aplysia Genomics

I am in the process of constructing a series of cDNA libraries encompassing different stages of the life cycle of Aplysia californica. Sequence analysis of the libraries will be used to generate a comprehensive EST database for Aplysia. Ultimately, the identified clones can be used for printing microarrays for subsequent gene expression analysis.

Why Aplysia? Aplysia californica is a marine opisthobranch mollusc and has long been used as a model organism for neuroscience. The relative simplicity and distinctive organization of its nervous system makes it useful for the study of behavior, learning and memory. Second, molluscs are important food sources in many regions of the world and are grown in aquaculture. At present, little is known about molluscan diseases and hormonal modulation of reproduction and development. Third, many gastropods molluscs are known to be unique sources of toxins and biologically active compounds. The availability of expressed molluscan sequences can contribute to our understanding of neurobiology, facilitate improvements in aquaculture systems and serve as a resource in the search for prototypes in drug discovery.

II. Toxicogenomics of Microcystin.

I have begun studies of the toxicogenomic response of mammalian liver to microcystin exposure. I am currently utilizing both the mouse and a tissue cell culture system to investigate the cellular pathways affected by exposure to this toxin.

Recent reports suggest that toxic cyanobacteria blooms are an emerging issue in the United States. The presence of toxic cyanobacteria blooms in surface water has led to livestock deaths and a variety of human health disorders. Primary public exposure to algal biotoxins can come from drinking water, water used in medical treatments such as dialysis, recreational water, and dietary supplements. Secondary human exposure may come from algal biotoxin residue on fruits and vegetables from contaminated irrigation water and consumption of animal tissue. One of the most commonly encountered cyanobacterial toxins is microcystin. Microcystins are a family of cyclic heptapeptide hepatoxins produced by several different species of cyanobacteria. Epidemiological studies have indicated that one of the risk factors for the high occurrence of primary hepatocellular carcinoma is consumption of microcystins in drinking water. As with most drinking water contaminants, the limited availability of markers for exposure to the toxins has hindered the understanding of algal toxin effects on human health.

Toxicogenomics is the application of gene expression profile analysis to the field of toxicology to facilitate the identification of genes and pathways involved in mechanisms of toxicity. Exposure to environmental agents can cause fundamental changes in basic physiology through alterations in patterns of gene expression, which can lead to increased risk of disease. A better understanding of the effects of altered gene expression on key pathways is necessary for evaluating the impact of environmental toxins on human health.

 

Recent Publications

Idrisi, N., Barimo, J.F., Hudder, A., Capo, T., and Walsh, P.J. (2005) Rates of Nitrogen Excretion and Oxygen Consumption in the California Sea Hare, Aplysia californica, Bull. Mar. Sci., 79 (1): 231-237.

Hudder, A., Nathanson, L. and Deutscher, M. P. (2003) Organization of Mammalian Cytoplasm. Mol. Cell. Biol. In press.

Hudder, A. and Werner, R. (2000) Analysis of a Charcot-Marie-Tooth disease mutation reveals an essential IRES element in the connexin32 gene. J. Biol. Chem. 275: 34586-34591.

Werner, R., and Hudder, A. (2000) Gap Junctions. Methods 20: 127-128.

Schiavi, A. Hudder, A. and Werner, R. (1999) Connexin43 mRNA contains a functional internal ribosome entry site. FEBS Letters 464: 118-122.