Associate Professor of Biomedical Sciences 359 Dodge Hall of Engineering (248) 370-2393 goldberg@oakland.edu

Biography
Dr. Andrew F.X.Goldberg received a Bachelor of Science degree in philosophy and biochemistry from the State University of New York, University Center at Binghamton, in 1985. He conducted graduate studies in ion channel biochemistry/biophysics within the Department of Biochemistry at Brandeis University under the tutelage of Dr. Christopher Miller, and received a Ph.D. in 1992. Postdoctoral studies in vision science were conducted at the University of British Columbia in the laboratory of Dr. Robert Molday and at the University of Washington in the laboratory of Dr. James Hurley. Goldberg joined the Eye Research Institute in 1999.

Over the past 20 years, Goldberg has received funding and fellowships from the National Science Foundation, the Grass Foundation and National Eye Institute. His professional affiliations include the American Society for Biochemistry and Cell Biology, American Society for the Advancement of Science, and the Association for Research in Vision and Ophthalmology.

Research
The molecular pathologies involved in the great majority of inherited retinal degenerations remain largely unknown despite identification of the genes involved. The laboratory's efforts are focused on understanding disease at the molecular level by studying affected protein structure and function. Ongoing studies address mechanisms of photoreceptor outer segment renewal and stability and may reflect more general principles that guide membranous organelle morphogenesis in eukaryotic cells. A variety of biochemical, biophysical and molecular genetic techniques are applied to the macromolecule/organelle interface of vertebrate photoreceptors to address current questions in cell biology and the molecular pathology of inherited retinal dystrophies. Additional information is available on the Goldberg Laboratory Web page.

Recent Publications:

2006 Goldberg, AFX, Ritter, LM, Khattree, N, Peachey, NS, Fariss RN, Dang, D,, and Bottrell, AR. An intramembrane glutamic acid governs peripherin/rds function for photoreceptor disk morphogenesis.   Invest. Ophthalmol. Vis. Sci. (in press).

2006 Goldberg, AFX. Role of peripherin/rds in vertebrate photoreceptor architecture and inherited retinal degenerations. Int. Rev. Cyt., 253, 131-175.  [abstract]

2006 Stanton JB, Goldberg, AFX, Hoppe G, Marmorstein LY, and Marmorstein AD. Hydrodynamic properties of porcine bestrophin-1 in Triton X-100. Biochim. et Biophys. Acta, 1758, 241-247. [abstract]

2005 Ritter LM, Arakawa T, Goldberg, AFX. Predicted and measured disorder in peripherin/rds, a retinal tetraspanin. Protein and Peptide Letters, 12, 677-686. [abstract]

2004 Ding, X-Q, Nour, M, Ritter, L.M., Goldberg, AFX, Fliesler, SJ and Naash, MI. Preferential Cone-specific defects associated with the expression of R172W mutant peripherin/rds. Hum. Mol. Genet. 13, 2075-2087.

2004 Ritter, L.M., Boesze-Battaglia, K., Tam B.M., Moritz O.L., Khattree N., Chen S-C. and Goldberg, AFX. Uncoupling of photoreceptor peripherin/rds fusogenicity from biosynthesis, subunit assembly and targeting: a potential mechanism for pathogenic effects. J. Biol. Chem. 279, 39958-39967.

2003 Boesze-Battaglia, K., Goldberg, AFX., Dispoto, J., Katragadda, M., Cesarone, G. and Albert, AD. A soluble peripherin/rds C-terminal polypeptide promotes membrane fusion and changes conformation upon membrane association. Exp. Eye Res. 77, 505-514.

2002 Boesze-Battaglia, K, and Goldberg, AFX. Photoreceptor renewal: a role for peripherin/rds. Int. Rev. Cytol. 217, 183-226.

2001 Goldberg, AFX, Fales, LM, Hurley, JB, Khattree, N. Folding and subunit assembly of photoreceptor peripherin/rds is mediated by determinants within the extracellular/intradiskal EC2 domain: implications for heterogeneous molecular pathologies. J. Biol. Chem. 276, 42700-42706. 

2000 Clarke, GA, Goldberg, AFX, Vidgen, D., Collins, L., Schwarz, L., Molday, L., Rossant, J., Szel, A., Molday, R, Birch, DG., and McInnes, R.. Rom-1 is required for rod photoreceptor viability and the regulation of disk morphogenesis. Nat Genet. 25, 67-73.