John Ferguson
Professor of Biology; Health Professions Advisor
Office: Reem-Kayden Center 215
Phone: 845-752-2333
Email: ferguson@bard.edu
Homepage: http://biology.bard.edu/ferguson/

Education
Ph.D. Biology (1973), Yale University
M.Phil. Biology (1971), Yale University
Sc.B. Biology (1969), Brown University

Courses
Subcellular Biology, Introduction to Physiology, Biochemistry, Microbiology, Prokaryotic and Viral Genetics, Diabetes Mellitus, Biology of Infectious Disease, Biology of Noninfectious Disease

Research

Selected Publications

  • Ferguson, John B. "Decoding the Papyrus," Annandale 139(1): 30-35, January 2000.
  • Ferguson, John B. "Mitochondrion," entry in Encarta 97 Encyclopedia, Redmond WA: Microsoft, 1996.
  • Ferguson, John B. "Thomas, Lewis," entry in Encarta 97 Encyclopedia, Redmond WA: Microsoft, 1996.
  • Ferguson, John B. "Do We Overuse Antibiotics?" Annandale 129(1): 7-12, 1989.
  • Segarnick, D.J., L.J. Traficante, W.T. Maple, & J.B. Ferguson. "Effects of chronic lithium administration on concanavalin A binding to plasma membranes from the corpus striatum of rat brain," Experientia 35: 655-656, 1979.

Research interests
 Although I have supervised fifty-six senior research projects ranging in topic from immunology, to cyanobacterial physiology and from the epidemiology of rabies to the microbiology of Bard's food service, my personal research interests lie in the biochemistry of the Krebs cycle enzymes of the ciliate Tetrahymena pyriformis, in particular of its NADP+ isocitrate dehydrogenase, which I have studied since 1983. One student showed that the enzyme was indeed NADP+-dependent (not NAD+-dependent), as other investigators had suggested, and another investigated the intracellular location of the enzyme, which led to a series of four projects,,, that attempted to develop a novel method of purifying mitochondria using mitochondrial signal sequences on solid supports. Several students,, contributed to the development of a purification scheme for the enzyme, resulting in estimates of its native and subunit molecular masses, and one senior determined that there was a cysteine residue at or near its active site.

Valeri Thomson and her students in the Bard College Immediate Science Research Opportunity Program have since identified two genes in Tetrahymena that encode NADP+ isocitrate dehydrogenases, and they have completely sequenced both genes at the genomic and mRNA levels. ICD1 seems to encode an NADP+ isocitrate dehydrogenase targeted towards mitochondria, while ICD2 appears to encode an enzyme targeted towards the cytoplasm and peroxisomes. Partial amino acid sequencing of our purified enzyme revealed that it is encoded by ICD2. We have presented this work at various meetings,,,,, and are currently preparing it for publication. It remains to be seen whether ICD1 encodes a functional NADP+ isocitrate dehydrogenase, and whether the two gene products are indeed targeted to the predicted organelles.

Meanwhile another Bard senior confirmed that Tetrahymena’s malate dehydrogenase was NAD+-dependent, and we have begun to characterize the gene or genes that encode this enzyme.

  1. Dauzier, Michele J. The effect of antigen concentration on the induction of immunologic tolerance in neonatal mice. Senior Project submitted to the Division of Natural Sciences and Mathematics, Bard College, Annandale-on-Hudson NY, 1979.
  2. Walsh, Robyn M. Molecular size and the immunological carrier effect. Senior Project submitted to the Division of Natural Sciences and Mathematics, Bard College, Annandale-on-Hudson NY, 1979.
  3. Donerly, Susan D. The effects of purple light on Anacystis nidulans, a blue-green alga. Senior Project submitted to the Division of Natural Sciences and Mathematics, Bard College, Annandale-on-Hudson NY, 1980.
  4. Reynolds, Robert F. An epidemiological study of the raccoon rabies epizootic in Connecticut, Massachusetts, New Jersey, New York, and Pennsylvania. Senior Project submitted to the Division of Natural Sciences and Mathematics, Bard College, Annandale-on-Hudson NY, 1994.
  5. Flockhart, Craig T. Microbiological survey of commercially prepared food. Senior Project submitted to the Division of Natural Sciences and Mathematics, Bard College, Annandale-on-Hudson NY, 1995.
  6. Grogan, James F. NADP+- dependent enzymes in the Tetrahymena pyriformis Krebs cycle. Senior Project submitted to the Division of Natural Sciences and Mathematics, Bard College, Annandale-on-Hudson NY, 1983.
  7. Stoll, Vincent S. Distribution of NADP+-isocitrate dehydrogenase between mitochondria and peroxisomes in Tetrahymena pyriformis. Senior Project submitted to the Division of Natural Sciences and Mathematics, Bard College, Annandale-on-Hudson NY, 1985.
  8. Lowenstein, Bruce G. The signal peptide as a tool for purifying mitochondria. Senior Project submitted to the Division of Natural Sciences and Mathematics, Bard College, Annandale-on-Hudson NY, 1986.
  9. Ubaldo, Robert J. Affinity purification of yeast cell mitochondria. Senior Project submitted to the Division of Natural Sciences and Mathematics, Bard College, Annandale-on-Hudson NY, 1987.
  10. Ross, Andrew R. Synthesis of a signal peptide for affinity purification of mitochondria. Senior Project submitted to the Division of Natural Sciences and Mathematics, Bard College, Annandale-on-Hudson NY, 1990.
  11. Gordon, Erin. Use of Mitochondrial protein leader sequences to purify mitochondria from the ciliate protozoan Tetrahymena pyriformis. Senior Project submitted to the Division of Natural Sciences and Mathematics, Bard College, Annandale-on-Hudson NY, 1992.
  12. Hare, Susan M. The partial purification of NADP+-isocitrate dehydrogenase from Tetrahymena pyriformis. Senior Project submitted to the Division of Natural Sciences and Mathematics, Bard College, Annandale-on-Hudson NY, 1987.
  13. McGinnis, Rachel S. Purification and characterization of isocitrate dehydrogenase from Tetrahymena pyriformis. Senior Project submitted to the Division of Natural Sciences and Mathematics, Bard College, Annandale-on-Hudson NY, 1990.
  14. Makkuni, Premraj. Isolation and characterization of NADP+-dependent isocitrate dehydrogenase in Tetrahymena pyriformis. Senior Project submitted to the Division of Natural Sciences and Mathematics, Bard College, Annandale-on-Hudson NY, 1995.
  15. Breckenridge, Anouk T. Partial purification and molecular weight determination of NADP+-dependent isocitrate dehydrogenase from Tetrahymena pyriformis. Senior Project submitted to the Division of Natural Sciences and Mathematics, Bard College, Annandale-on-Hudson NY, 1996.
  16. Mustafa, Mehnaz S. Purification of NADP+-dependent isocitrate dehydrogenase from Tetrahymena pyriformis and identification of cysteine residues at or near the active site. Senior Project submitted to the Division of Natural Sciences and Mathematics, Bard College, Annandale-on-Hudson NY, 1999.
  17. Thomson, Valeri J., Alexander DeBonet, Venetta Dent, Brian Foote, Jane E. Gilvin, Sasha D. Hafner, Emmanuel Laumonier, Rossy Peralta, Anna M. Rivera, Greg Roman, Katheryn J. Ross, Sarah A. Shapiro, & John B. Ferguson. Isocitrate dehydrogenase from Tetrahymena pyriformis. 13th National Conference on Undergraduate Research, Rochester NY, April 8—10, 1999.
  18. Thomson, V. J., & J. B. Ferguson. Phylogenetic relationships among amino acid sequences of NADP-dependent isocitrate dehydrogenases: Adding Tetrahymena to the tree. 52nd Annual Meeting of the Society of Protozoologists, Raleigh NC, May 26—29, 1999.
  19. Thomson, Valeri J., Mehnaz S. Mustafa, & John B. Ferguson. Evidence of two genes for NADP+-dependent isocitrate dehydrogenase in Tetrahymena pyriformis. 8th International Meeting on Ciliate Molecular Biology, Saxtons River VT, August 7—12, 1999.
  20. Thomson, Valeri J., Adrian Adorno, Babacar Cisse, Benjamin T. King, Juliet Morrison, Rossy Peralta, Gregory Roman, Pamela L. Roy, Sarah A. Shapiro, M. Tanveer Talukdar, Ali Tonak, Dumaine Williams, John B. Ferguson. Sequences of Tetrahymena isocitrate dehydrogenase genes ICD1 and ICD2: phylogenetic relationships among homologous genes. 54th Eastern Colleges Science Conference, Staten Island, NY, March 31—April 1, 2000.
  21. Roy, Pamela, & John Ferguson. "Discussion of the phylogenetic relationship among NADP+-dependent isocitrate dehydrogenase sequences in eukaryotes and the addition of ciliates to the phylogenetic tree," 54th Eastern Colleges Science Conference, Staten Island, NY, March 31—April 1, 2000.
  22. Thomson, V. J., & J. B. Ferguson. Complete coding and genomic sequences of two genes of the NADP+ isocitrate dehydrogenase family in Tetrahymena pyriformis ATCC 30005. 9th East Coast Protozoology Conference, Smithfield RI, June 9—10, 2001.
  23. Miller, Rebecca. The coenzyme dependence of malate dehydrogenase in Tetrahymena pyriformis. Senior Project submitted to the Division of Natural Sciences and Mathematics, Bard College, Annandale-on-Hudson NY, 1983.
  24. Russell, Olga. Degenerate PCR in a search for malate dehydrogenase genes in the Tetrahymena pyriformis genome and a cDNA preparation. Senior Project submitted to the Division of Natural Sciences and Mathematics, Bard College, Annandale-on-Hudson NY, 2001.
  25. Peralta Gómez, Rossy J. Partial characterization of the gene for NAD+-dependent malate dehydrogenase in Tetrahymena thermophila. Senior Project submitted to the Division of Natural Sciences and Mathematics, Bard College, Annandale-on-Hudson NY, 2002.

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