Claudio Gonzalez

Assistant Professor

Department of Microbiology and Cell Science
University of Florida, Genetics Institute.

Ph.D. (2000) National University of Tucumán, Argentine.
2004-2007 Banting and Best Institute (University of Toronto), 2003-2004 University of California at San Diego (UCSD), 2000-2003 Stanford University.

Teaching Interests

Basic biology of microorganisms MCB-3023

Research

General Interest: Gene expression and regulation; protein engineering, enzyme production and characterization.

My lab is interested in the functional and biological characterization of unknown proteins with hydrolytic activity.

• Identification of natural substrates
• Determination of the metabolic pathway to which they are associated
• Elucidation of regulatory circuits involved on its expression or activity

We are especially interested in a big group of enzymes called esterases that includes carboxylesterases, arylesterases and thioesterases. To accomplish this task we are using rapid screening techniques combining hundred of natural and synthetic substrates. This big group of enzymes is involved in different cellular functions from biosynthetic pathways to xenobiotics detoxification processes. Elucidate the biological role of unknown enzymes with esterase activity represents a big challenge due its broad substrate specificity. However, this hydrolytic plasticity associated with the stereoselectivity of some of them makes this group of proteins useful for many industrial, biomedical and environmental applications. 

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Selected Publications

• Van Straaten KE, Gonzalez CF, Valladares RB, Xu X, Savchenko AV, Sanders DA. (2009) The structure of a putative S-formylglutathione hydrolase from Agrobacterium tumefaciens. Protein Sci. [Epub ahead of print]PMID: 19653299
• Kin Kwan Lai, Graciela L. Lorca, Claudio F. Gonzalez (2009) Biochemical properties of two cinnamoyl esterases purified from a Lactobacillus johnsonii strain isolated from diabetic resistantrats??? (BB-DR) stool samples. Applied and Environmental Microbiology June 5, 2009.
• Brown, Greg; Singer, Alex; Proudfoot, Michael; Skarina,Tatiana; Kim, Youngchang; Chang, Changsoo; Dementieva, Irina; Kuznetsova, Ekaterina; Gonzalez, Claudio; Joachimiak, Andrzej; Savchenko, Alexei; Yakunin, Alexander (2008) "Functional and structural characterization of four glutaminases from Escherichia coli and Bacillus subtilis" Biochemistry 47:5724:5735. PMID: 18459799
• Ekaterina Kuznetsova, Michael Proudfoot, Claudio F. Gonzalez, Greg Brown, Marina V. Omelchenko, Ivan Borozan, Liran Carmel, Yuri I. Wolf, Hirotada Mori, Alexei V. Savchenko, Cheryl H. Arrowsmith, Eugene V. Koonin, Aled M. Edwards, and Alexander F. Yakunin (2006) Genome-wide analysis of substrate specificities of the Escherichia coli haloacid dehalogenase-like phosphatase family. Journal of Biological Chemistry. 281(47) 36149-36161. PMID: 16990279.
• Claudio F. Gonzalez, Michael Proudfoot, Greg Brown, Yurij Korniyenko, Hirotada Mori, Alexei V. Savchenko and Alexander F. Yakunin  (2006) Molecular Basis of Formaldehyde Detoxification: Characterization of Two S-Formylglutathione Hydrolases from Escherichia coli, FrmB and YeiG. Journal of Biological Chemistry 281 (20) 14514-14522. PMID: 16567800

• Gonzalez C.F., D.F. Ackerley, S.V. Lynch, and A. Matin (2005) ChrR, a soluble quinone reductase of Pseudomonas putida that defends against H2O2. Journal Biological Chemistry 280 (24) 22590 – 22595. PMID: 15840577
• Zhang Z, Gosset G, Barabote R, Gonzalez CF, Cuevas WA, Saier MH Jr. (2005) Functional interactions between the carbon and iron utilization regulators, Crp and Fur, in Escherichia coli. Journal of Bacteriology 187(3):980-90. PMID: 15659676
• Ackerley, David, Claudio F Gonzalez, Mimi Keyhan, Robert Blake III, and A Matin (2005) Biomolecular strategy to decrease chromate toxicity to remediating bacteria. Progress in Water Resources Management III, Vol. 80. M. De Conceicao Cunha Eds. WIT Press.Wessex, England.
• Gonzalez Claudio, David Ackerley, Mimi Keyhan, A. Matin (2005) Evaluation of Class II Chromate Reductases and their Bioremediation Potential. In: Progress in Water Resources, Vol. 11. WIT Press.Wessex, England, ISBN: 1-84564-007.
• Stonestrom, A., Barabote, R.D., Gonzalez, C.F., and Saier Jr. M.H. (2005) Bioinformatic analyses of bacterial Hpr kinase/phosphorylase homologues. Research in Microbiology, 156:443-451. PMID: 15808949
• Gonzalez, C.F., Stonestrom, A., Lorca., G.L. and Saier Jr., M.H. (2005). Biochemical characterization of phosphoryl transfer involving Hpr of the phosphoenolpyruvate-dependent phosphotransferase system in Treponema denticola, an organism lacks PTS permeases. Biochemistry, 44:598-608. PMID: 15641785

• D.F. Ackerley, C.F. Gonzalez, R. Blake II, M. Keyhan and A. Matin (2004) Mechanism of chromate reduction by the Escherichia coli protein, NFSA, and the role of different chromate reductase in minimizing oxidative stress during chromate reduction. Environmental Microbiology.6:851-860.PMID: 15250887
• D.F. Ackerley, C.F. Gonzalez, C.H. Park, R. Blake II, M. Keyhan and A. Matin (2004) Chromate-reducing properties of soluble flavoproteins from Pseudomonas putida and Escherichia coli. Applied and Environmental Microbiology. 70:(2) 873-882. PMID: 14766567
• Gonzalez, CF, Ackerley, DF., CH Park, and A Matin (2003)A soluble flavoprotein contributes to chromate reduction and tolerance by Pseudomonas putida. Acta Biotechnologica 23:233-239
• Park, C.H., C. Gonzalez, D. Ackerley, M. Keyhan, and A. Matin.  "Molecular Engineering of Soluble Bacterial Proteins with Chromate Reductase Activity." In: R.E. Hinchee, A. Porta, and M. Pellei (eds.), Remediation and Reuse of Contaminated Sediments. 103-111.Proceedings of the First International Conference on Remediation of Chlorinated Sediments (Venice, Italy, 10-12 October 2001), Volume S1-3.  Battelle Press, Columbus, Ohio, USA.
• González C. F., Fariña J. I and de Figueroa L.I. C. (2002). A critical assessment of a viscosimetric assay for measuring Saccharomycopsis fibuligera a-amylase activity on native cassava starch. Enzyme and Microbial Technology. 30: 169-175.

• González C., Delgado O., Baigori M., Abatte C., de Figueroa L.I.C. and Callieri D.A. (1998) Ethanol production cassava starch whit mix cultures of Endomycopsis fibuligera and Zimomonas mobilis. Acta Biotechnologica. 18: 149-155.

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University publications

• González C.F. (1995). “Genetic improvement of baking yeast of industrial interest”. Graduate Thesis. Facultad de Ciencias Exactas, Químicas y Naturales, Universidad Nacional de Misiones.
• González C.F. (2000). “Studies of amylolytic yeast of industrial interest: Basic and applied aspects”. PhD Thesis. National University of Tucumán, Argentine

Fellowships and Awards

2000-2002 Post-Doctoral fellowship awarded by the National Committee of Science and Technology. “Chromate bioremediation using Pseudomonas starvation promoters”. Stanford University, California.

1995- 2000 Doctoral fellowship to obtain Ph.D. degree awarded by National Committee of Science and Technology, Argentine. “Genetic improvement of amylolytic yeast strains”. PROIMI. Tucumán Argentine.

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