juan-medium.jpg

Juan Gonzalez

Professor Biological Sciences and Dean of Graduate Education and Associate Provost, The University of Texas at Dallas

Connect with Juan

About Juan

Gonzalez's focus is on International Education, Graduate Education, International Student Partnerships, Student Retention and Student Recruitment. Gonzalez's other interests include Faculty Mentoring, Training, Diversity, Equity and Inclusion, Nitrogen-fixing rhizobia and Long-Range RNA/RNA Interactions.

Contributions

Publications

"The Low-Molecular-Weight Fraction of Exopolysaccharide II From Sinorhizobium meliloti Is a Crucial Determinant of Biofilm Formation.. Journal of Bacteriology" Journal of Bacteriology 191, no. 23 (2009): 7216–7224.

Explores the role of rhizobial exopolysaccharides in biofilm formation and their importance in the symbiotic relationship with the host. Shows that the ExpR/Sin quorum-sensing system controls biofilm formation in S. meliloti through the production of EPS II, which provides the matrix for the development of structured and highly organized biofilms.

"Chemical Sensing in Mammalian Host-Bacterial Commensal Associations " (with David T. Hughes, Darya A. Terekhova, Linda Liou, Carolyn J. Hovde, Jason W. Sahl, Arati V. Patankar, Thomas S. Edrington, David A. Rasko, and Vanessa Sperandio). Proceedings of the National Academy of Sciences 107, no. 21 (2010): 9831-9836.

Discusses how SdiA is necessary for EHEC colonization of cattle and that AHLs are prominent within the bovine rumen but absent in other areas of the GI tract. Asesses the rumen metagenome of heifers, and we show that it is dominated by Clostridia and/or Bacilli but also harbors Bacteroidetes.

"The Novel Genes emmABC Are Associated With Exopolysaccharide Production, Motility, Stress Adaptation, and Symbiosis in Sinorhizobium meliloti" (with Jennifer Morris). American Society of Microbiology 191, no. 19 (2009): 5890-5900.

Elaborates on how the nitrogen-fixing symbiont Sinorhizobium meliloti senses and responds to constantly changing environmental conditions as it makes its way through the soil in search of its leguminous plant host, Medicago sativa (alfalfa). Reveals that as a result, this bacterium regulates various aspects of its physiology in order to respond appropriately to stress, starvation, and competition.

"Complex Regulation of Symbiotic Functions Is Coordinated by MucR and Quorum Sensing in Sinorhizobium meliloti" (with Konrad Mueller). Journal of Bacteriology 191, no. 3 (2011): 485-496.

Shows how the ExpR/Sin quorum-sensing system induces EPS II production by increasing expression of the expG-expC operon, encoding both a transcriptional regulator (ExpG) and a glycosyl transferase (ExpC). ExpG derepresses EPS II production at the transcriptional level from MucR, a RosR homolog, while concurrently elevating expression of expC, resulting in the synthesis of the low-molecular-weight form.

"Exopolysaccharide Production in Response to Medium Acidification Is Correlated With an Increase in Competition for Nodule Occupancy" (with Barney A Geddes and Ivan J Oresnik). Molecular Plant Microbe Interactions 27, no. 12 (2015): 1307-1317.

Shows that strains carrying mutations in the De-Ley Doudoroff pathway (dgoK), have galactose-dependent exopolysaccharide (EPS) phenotypes that were manifested as aberrant Calcofluor staining as well as decreased mucoidy when in an expR(+) genetic background.

"Role of Quorum Sensing in the Sinorhizobium meliloti–Alfalfa Symbiosis" (with Luciana V. Rinaudi‐Marron). John Wiley & Sons, Inc. (2013): 535-540.

Discusses what we have learnt in recent years about the S. meliloti quorum‐sensing systems and the important regulatory roles they play in free‐living S. meliloti as well as during the host invasion process.

"A Perspective on Promoting Diversity in the Biomedical Research Workforce: The National Heart, Lung, and Blood Institute’s PRIDE Program" (with Josephine E.A. Boyington, Nita J. Maihle, Treva K. Rice, Caryl A. Hess, Levi H. Makala, Donna B. Jeffe, Gbenga Ogedegbe, Dabeeru C. Rao, Victor G. Dávila-Román, Betty S. Pace, Girardin Jean-Louis, and Mohamed Boutjdir). Ethnicity and Disease 26, no. 3 (2016): 379-386.

Shares a research education and mentoring initiative that seeks to address the challenge of: Programs to Increase Diversity among Individuals Engaged in Health Related Research (PRIDE), funded by the National Heart, Lung, and Blood Institute (NHLBI). Discusses longitudinal research-education and mentoring programs that occur through summer institute programs located at US-based academic institutions.

"Mentored Training to Increase Diversity Among Faculty in the Biomedical Sciences: The NHLBI Summer Institute Programs to Increase Diversity (SIPID) and the Programs to Increase Diversity Among Individuals Engaged in Health-Related Research" (with Treva K Rice, Donna B Jeffe, Jared B Jobe, Victor G Dávila-Román, Lisa de Las Fuentes, Levi H C Makala, Rita Sarkar , Gbenga G Ogedegbe, Anne L Taylor, Susan Czajkowski, Dabeeru C Rao, Betty S Pace, Girardin Jean-Louis, and Mohamed Boutjdir). Ethnicity and Disease 27, no. 3 (2017): 249-256.

Reports baseline characteristics of junior-level faculty participants in the Summer Institute Programs to Increase Diversity (SIPID) and the Programs to Increase Diversity among individuals engaged in Health-Related Research (PRIDE), which aim to facilitate participants' career development as independent investigators in heart, lung, blood, and sleep research. 

"Enhancing Diversity in the Hematology Biomedical Research Workforce: A Mentoring Program to Improve the Odds of Career Success for Early Stage Investigators" (with Betty Pace, Levi H. Makala, Rita Sarkar , Li Liu, Mayuko Takezaki, Narla Mohandas, Glorias Dixon, Ellen M. Werner, Donna B. Jeffe, Treva K. Rice, and Nita J. Maihle). American Journal of Hematology 92, no. 12 (2017): 1275-1279.

Evaluates how the necessity for greater racial and ethnic diversity in the US biomedical research workforce is evident. Discusses that many challenges must be overcome to achieve this formidable goal.

"Oxidative Degradation of Polypropylene Mesh in E. coli Environment" (with Prabhath L. Gamage, Yixin Ren, Coreen M. Slape, Iravati M. Ambike, Adele C. Wallace, Anna K. Fiedler, Michael C. Biewer , Philippe Zimmern, and Mihaela C. Stefan). ACS Applied Bio Materials 2, no. 9 (2019): 4027–4036.

Discusses how medical implants of polypropylene (PP) are commonly used in many surgical procedures to support tissues. Elaborates on previous studies regarding polypropylene meshes removed from patients and their affects.