Professor
Biology

EDUCATION:

Ph.D. in Molecular Biology from University of Colorado, Boulder, 1986
B.A. in Biology from University of California, San Diego, 1980

PREVIOUS TEACHING POSTIONS:

Assistant Professor, Simon Fraser University 1990-1998
Associate Professor, Simon Fraser University 1998-2000
Associate Professor, Utah Valley State College 2000-2003
Professor, Utah Valley State College 2003-Present

RESEARCH INTERESTS

Molecular Biogeographic Analysis of the Relationships Between Papilio indra Sub-Species

I currently collaborate with Dr. Wayne Whaley to study the evolution and population dynamics of the Indra Swallowtail Butterfly Papilio indra. I provide UVSC undergraduates with opportunities to become involved in this research. We extract DNA from butterfly specimens, amplify specific fragments, sequence the fragments, and compare their sequences to make inferences about the relationships between different populations of butterflies and how long they have been isolated from one another.

In the past, I have studied the role of tyrosine kinases and tyrosine phosphatases in the development of the fruit fly, Drosophila melanogaster, using two main approaches. First, I have used genetic methods to identify genes that interact with the Drosophila EGF receptor homologue (DER). These genes may help us understand how stimulation of the DER leads to a variety of different responses depending on the type of cell or tissue that is involved in the response.

A second emphasis of my past research has been to use molecular methods to isolate fragments of protein tyrosine phosphatase (PTP) genes that are expressed in the Drosophila ovary. My coworkers and I determined the time and locations of expression of these genes in the ovary. These studies may help us understand the roles of these PTPs in oogenesis.

I also have training in the areas of Molecular Biology and Nucleic Acid Biochemistry. My Ph.D. research involved the mechanisms of RNA catalysis.

PUBLICATIONS:

Wei H.C., H. Shu, J.V. Price. 2003. Functional genomic analysis of the 61D-61F region of the third chromosome of Drosophila melanogaster. Genome, 46: 1049-1058.

 

Wei H.C., J. Sanny, H. Shu, D.L. Baillie, J.A. Brill, J.V. Price, N. Harden. 2003. The Sac1 lipid phosphatase regulates cell shape change and the JNK cascade during dorsal closure in Drosophila. Curr Biol , 13: 1882-1887.

 

Hati, S., S. Bhattacharyya, J.V. Price, and A.S. Tracey. 2002. Comparative modeling of the phosphatase and kinase domains of protein tyrosine phosphatase DPTP61F and insulin receptor kinase from Drosophila melanogaster, and a computational study of their mutual interactions. Biochem Cell Biol, 80: 225-239.

 

Price, J.V., E. Savenye, D. Lum and A. Breitkreutz. 1997. Dominant Enhancers of Egfr in Drosophila melanogaster: Genetic links between the Notch and Egfr signaling pathways. Genetics, 147: 1139-1153.

 

Ursuliak, Z., J.C. Clemens, J.E. Dixon, and J.V. Price. 1997. Differential accumulation of DPTP61F alternative transcripts: Regulation of a protein tyrosine phosphatase by segmentation genes. Mechanisms of Development, 65: 19-30.

 

Clemens, J.C., Z. Ursuliak, K.K. Clemens, J.V. Price, and J.E. Dixon. 1996. The Drosophila Protein Tyrosine Phosphatase DPTP61F Associates with the Axonal Guidance Adaptor Protein Dock. J Biol Chem, 271: 17002-17005.

 

Fitzpatrick, K.A., S.M. Gorski, Z. Ursuliak, and J.V. Price. 1995. Expression of protein tyrosine phosphatase genes during oogenesis of Drosophila melanogaster. Mechanisms of Development, 53: 171-183.

 

Schupbach, Trudi, Robert J. Clifford, Lynn J. Manseau, and James V. Price. 1991. Dorsoventral Signaling Processes in Drosophila Oogenesis. In: Cell-Cell Interactions in Early Development (J. Gerhart, ed., Wiley-Liss, Inc.) pp. 163-174.

 

Price, J.V., R.J. Clifford, and T. Schupbach. 1989. The Maternal Ventralizing Locus torpedo is allelic to faint little ball, an Embryonic Lethal, and Encodes the Drosophila EGF Receptor Homolog. Cell, 56: 1085-1092.

 

Price, J.V., and T.R. Cech. 1988. Determinants of the 3' Splice Site for Self-Splicing of the Tetrahymena Pre-rRNA. Genes and Development, 2: 1439-1447.

 

Price, J.V. 1987. Origin of the Phosphate at the Ligation Junction Produced by Self-Splicing of the Tetrahymena thermophila Pre-Ribosomal RNA. Journal of Molecular Biology, 196: 217-221.

 

Price, J.V., J. Engberg, and T.R. Cech. 1987. Exon Requirement for Self-Splicing of the Tetrahymena thermophila Pre-Ribosomal RNA and Identification of a Cryptic 5' Splice Site in the 3' Exon. Journal of Molecular Biology, 196: 49-60.

 

Price, J.V., and T.R. Cech. 1985. Coupling of Tetrahymena Ribosomal RNA Splicing to Beta-Galactosidase Expression in Escherichia coli. Science, 228: 719-722.

 

Price, J.V., G.L. Kieft, J.R. Kent, E.L. Sievers, and T.R. Cech. 1985. Sequence Requirements for Self-Splicing of the Tetrahymena thermophila Pre-Ribosomal RNA. Nucleic Acids Research, 13: 1871-1889.