RESEARCH ACTIVITY Before coming to East Carolina University, I worked as a "chargé de Recherche" at the "Institut National de la Sante et de la Recherche Medicale (INSERM)" in Toulouse, France. Toulouse is also called the pink city because all the buildings are made of brick. The main goal of the research I conducted in France was to understand the pharmacology of cholecystokinin and gastrin receptors. These two polypeptides are gastrointestinal hormones that regulate a number of functions in the digestive system. We were also interested in analyzing the second messenger pathways involved in the transduction of the signal generated by the binding of these hormones to their receptors. More recently I have initiated a collaboration with Ed Stellwag, Ph.D. in the Biology department. In collaboration with Ed, it is our intention to characterize the "Hoxon" of the teleost (bony fish) Morone Saxatilis. We are interested in the characterization of the "Hoxon" in this fish because the genes included in the hoxon are major regulator of development in all metazoan (animal) species and because Morone is a member of the most successful vertebrate order. At present, we have characterized nearly a 1/3 of the gene in this complex. SELECTED PUBLICATIONS Dopamine receptors in a Human colonic cancer cell line (HT29). Some receptor-related biological effects of dopamine. J.L. Scemama, C. Ruellan, P. Clerc, F. Clemente and A. Ribet. Int. J. Cancer, 1984,34, 675-679. CCK and Gastrin inhibit adenylate cyclase activity through a pertussis toxin-sensitive mechanism in thetumoral rat pancreatic acinar cell line AR4-2J. J.L. Scemama, P. Robberecht, M. Waelbrook, P. De Neef, L. Pradayrol, N. Vaysse and J. Christophe. F.E.B.S., 1988, 242, 1, 61-64. Characterization of gastrin receptors on a rat pancreatic acinar cell line AR4-2J. A possible model for studying gastrin mediated cell growth and proliferation. J.L. Scemama, D. Fourmy, A. Zahidi, L. Pradayrol, Susini C., and A. Ribet. Gut, 1987, 28, 233-236. Cholecystokinin and gastrin peptides stimulate ODC activity in a rat pancreatic cell line. J.L. Scemama, L. De Vries, L. Pradayrol, C. Seva, H. Tronchere, and N. Vaysse. Am. J. Physiol., 1989, 256, G846-G850. Lorglumide and Loxiglumide Inhibit Gastrin-stimulated DNA synthesis in a rat tumoral acinar pancreatic cell line (AR4-2J). C. Seva, J.L. Scemama, M.J. Bastie, L. Pradayrol, and N. Vaysse., Cancer Research, 1990, 50, 5829-5833. Characterization of putrescine and spermidine transport systems of a rat pancreatic acinar tumoral cell line (AR4-2J). T.G. Nicolet, J.L. Scemama, L. Pradayrol, C. Seva, and N. Vaysse., Biochem. J., 1990, 269, 629-632. Putrescine and spermidine uptake is regulated by proliferation and dexanethazone treatment in AR4-2J cells. T.G. Nicolet, J.L. Scemama, L. Pradayrol, P. Berthelemy, C. Seva, and N. Vaysse. Int. J. Cancer, 1991, 49, 577-581. Characterization of univectoral polyamine transport in duodenal crypt cell line. J.L. Scemama, v. Grabie, and E.R. Seidel., Am. J. Physiol., 1993, 265, G851-G856. Gastrointestinal polyamines and regulation of mucosal growth and function. E.R. Seidel, and J.L. Scemama. Nutritional Biochemistry, 1997, 8, 104-111. Genomic organization of the Hoxa4-Hoxa10 region from morone saxatilis: implications for the Hox gene evolution among vertebrates. E.A. Snell, J.L. Scemama, E.J. Stellwag, J. of Exp. Zool (in Press) 1999. COURSES TAUGHT Biochemistry laboratory BCellular physiology Basic Laboratory methods for biotechnology Curent literature in molecular biology Topics in Cell Biology MY WEB PAGE PROFESSIONAL MEMBERSHIPS Sigma Xi (Secretary) Association of Southeastern Biologist Dr. Scemama's Web Page |
