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Donald Primerano, Ph.D. Office: MEB 108A |
Research Summary
My principal research interests are in the genetic susceptibility to complex diseases and in developing assays to measure DNA damage. I serve as the director of the Appalachian Cardiovascular Research Network (ACoRN) whose overall objectives are to identify cardiovascular disease susceptibility genes using gene mapping and functional genomic approaches. Investigation of the genetic basis of two common cardiovascular diseases (Familial Combined Hyperlipidemia and Obesity Associated Cardiovascular Disease) has been initiated and human subjects are being enrolled. Both of these diseases are prevalent in the US population and predispose to myocardial infarction. Therefore they represent significant health risks. Our approach to understanding the disease process requires the expertise of physiologists, molecular biologists, statistical geneticists and clinicians. Faculty members from Marshall University, West Virginia University, Fairmont State University, West Liberty State College and Charleston Area Medical Center serve as members of the ACoRN team. ACoRN is funded through the WV-INBRE grant from the National Center for Research Resources.
I also serve as the director of the MU Genomics Core Facility. The Genomics Core Facility provides the following services to researchers at Marshall and other universities: (1) microarray-based gene expression profiling, (2) automated DNA sequencing and genotyping and (3) access to real-time thermal cyclers for quantitative PCR.
I am collaborating with Drs. James Denvir, Terry Fenger and Jan Sikorsky in the development of the real time PCR based assays of DNA damage
Recent Publications
1. Chertow BS, HK Driscoll, DA Primerano, WS Blaner, MB Cordle and KA Matthews. 1996. Retinoic acid receptor transcripts and effects of retinol acid on glucagon secretion from islets and glucagon cell lines. Metabolism 45: 300-305.
2. Chertow BS, HK Driscoll, N. Goking, DA Primerano, MB Cordle and KA Matthews. 1997. Retinoid-X receptors and the effects of 9-cis retinoic acid on insulin secretion from RINm5F cells. Metabolism 46: 656 - 660.
3. Chertow BS, HK Driscoll, N Goking, DA Primerano and KA Matthews. 1997. Effects of All-trans-Retinoic Acid Receptor (RAR) Expression on Secretion, Growth, and Apoptosis of Insulin-Secreting RINM5f Cells. Pancreas 15: 122-131.
4. Elitsur Y, BC Chertow, RD Jewell, SN Finver and DA Primerano. 1998. Identification of Hereditary Pancreatitis Mutation in Four WV Families. Ped. Res 44: 927-930.
5. Sikorsky JA, DA Primerano, TW Fenger, and J. Denvir. 2004. Effect of DNA Damage on PCR Amplification Efficiency with the Relative Threshold Cycle Method. Biochem. Biophys. Res. Comm. 323: 823-830
6. Sikorsky JA, DA Primerano, TW Fenger, and J Denvir. DNA Lesions Alter Polymerase Chain Reaction Efficiency and Fidelity (in preparation)