Howard M. Johnson

Graduate Research Professor

Department of Microbiology and Cell Science University of Florida 
Ph.D (1962) Department of Microbiology,
Ohio State University

Teaching Interest

Immunology

Training of undergraduate students, graduate students, and postdoctoral associates in basic research in immunology.

Description of Research

Our studies are focused on understanding the mechanism of action and modulation of cytokine function in the immune system. The knowledge gained from this is being used to develop anti-inflammatory, antiviral, and antitumor compounds. Some of our most recent work involves regulators of immune function, called Suppressors of Cytokine Signaling (SOCS). For example, we have developed a small peptide mimetic of an important SOCS, SOCS-1, that inhibits JAK2 tyrosine kinase activity and protects mice against experimental allergic encephalomyelitis (EAE), an animal model of multiple sclerosis in humans. This tyrosine kinase inhibitor peptide, Tkip, also inhibits activation of the oncogenic transcription factor STAT3 in prostate cancer cells. These studies thus have important implications for inflammatory diseases as well as cancer. 

 Honors/Awards

• American Men of Science
• Sigma Xi
• Financial Scholarship, Senior Year of Undergraduate Studies

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Selected Publications

Subramaniam PS, Flowers LO, Haider SM, and Johnson HM (2004) Signal transduction mechanism of a peptide mimetic of INF-gamma.  Biochemistry 43 :5445-5454.

Flowers LO, Johnson HM, Mujtaba MG, Ellis MR, Haider SM, and Subramaniam PS. (2004) Characterization of a peptide inhibitor of JAK2 that mimics SOCS-1 function. J. Immunol 172 : 7510-7518.

Ahmed CMI, M Burkhart, MG Mujtaba, PS Subramaniam, and HM Johnson.  (2005)  Peptide mimetics of gamma interferon possess antiviral activities against vaccinia and other viruses in the presence of poxvirus B8R protein.  J. Virology  79:5632-5639.

Flowers LO, Subramanaim PS, and Johnson HM.  (2005). A SOCS-1 peptide mimetic inhibits both constitutive and IL-6 induced activation of STAT3 in prostate cancer cells. Oncogene 24:2114-2120.

Mujtaba MG, Flowers LO, Patel CB, Patel RA, Haider MI, and Johnson HM. (2005). Treatment of mice  with the suppressor of cytokine signaling mimetic peptide, tyrosine kinase inhibitor peptide, prevents development of the acute form of experimental allergic encephalomyelitis and induces stable remission in the chronic relapsing/remitting form. J. Immunol. 175: 5077-5086.

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