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Faculty Detail    
Name MATTHEW B. RENFROW
  
Campus Address KAUL 524 Zip 0024
Phone  (205) 996-4681
E-mail  renfrow@uab.edu
Other websites Research Lab website
Biomedical FT-ICR Lab
BSB theme profile
     

Education
Undergraduate  Western Kentucky University    1996  B.S. Biochemistry & Recombinant Genetics 
Graduate  University of Georgia    2002  Ph.D. Biochemistry & Molecular Biology 
Fellowship  National High Magnetic Field Laboratory, Florida State University    2004  Postdoctoral research, Fourier transform-mass spectrometry 


Faculty Appointment(s)
Appointment Type Department Division Rank
Primary  Biochemistry & Molecular Genetics  Biochemistry & Molecular Genetics Professor
Center  Center for AIDS Research  Center for AIDS Research Professor
Center  Comprehensive Cancer Center  Comprehensive Cancer Center Professor
Center  Med - Cardiovascular Disease  Ctr Cardiovasc Bio (Org Ret) Professor
Center  Nephrology Research & Training Center  Nephrology Research & Training Center Professor

Graduate Biomedical Sciences Affiliations
Biochemistry and Molecular Genetics Program 
Biochemistry and Structural Biology 
Cancer Biology 
Microbiology 

Biographical Sketch 
Matt was born and raised in Bowling Green, KY. He obtained his B.S. in biochemistry and recombinant genetics from Western Kentucky University in 1996. As a Hilltopper undergraduate he worked in his dad’s pharmacy as a pharmacy technician and as a technician in the WKU Coal and Fuel Laboratory performing heavy metal analysis on coal by use of an ICP-AES spectrometer. As a graduate student at the University of Georgia (1996-2002), he studied transcription initiation in the hyperthermophile, Pyrococcus furiosus, performing protein-DNA crosslinking experiments on the transcription pre-initiation complex. For his postdoctoral studies at the National High Magnetic Field Laboratory at Florida State University (2002-2004), Matt returned to his analytical roots and studied Fourier transform ion cyclotron resonance (FT-ICR) mass spectrometry on proteins and peptides with emphasis on ion fragmentation techniques that allow for characterization of post-translational modifications such as glycosylation and phosphorylation. Since arriving at UAB in 2004, he has continued to develop methodologies for the analysis of modified proteins and peptides by high resolution mass spectrometry with emphasis on defining protein glycosylation heterogeneity in disease related proteins.

Society Memberships
Organization Name Position Held Org Link
American Society for Mass Spectrometry  member  http://www.asms.org/ 
American Society for Nephrology  member  http://www.asn-online.org/ 
 



Research/Clinical Interest
Title
Analysis of Protein Glycosylation in Human Disease by High Resolution Mass Spectrometry
Description
Dr. Renfrow's research interests are focused around the use of advanced mass spectrometry techniques for structural analysis of biomolecules. Specifically, the use of high resolution Fourier transform-mass spectrometry (FT-MS) in the analysis of protein glycosylation heterogeneity, especially the clustered sites of O-glycosylation found in IgA1. Patients with IgA nephropathy (IgAN), a chronic kidney disease that often leads to end stage renal disease (ESRD), have altered IgA1 O-glycans that are involved in the pathogenesis of the disease and could serve as biomarkers for the diagnosis and possibly prognosis of the disease. Dr. Renfrow's laboratory has developed several novel approaches for the systematic analysis of IgA1 O-glycosylation heterogeneity to identify the various sites of attachment and which sites show the aberrancy relative to healthy controls. The techniques developed have been applied to a wide range of protein glycosylation including the changes in N-glycans found in the HIV env protein gp120 as well as a variety of other glycosylated proteins.

Selected Publications 
Publication PUBMEDID
Novak, J., Renfrow, M.B., Gharavi, A.G., Julian, B.A. “Pathogenesis of immunoglobulin A nephropathy” (2013) Curr Opin Nephrol Hypertens. Mar 18.epub.  23511518 
Takahashi, K., Smith, A.D., IV, Julian, B.A., Mestechy, J., Novak, J., Renfrow, M.B., “Identification of Native Structural Isomers in IgA1 Hinge-region O-Glycosylation Using High-resolution Mass Spectrometry” (2012) J. Prot. Res., Feb 3;11:692-702.  22067045 
Suzuki, H., Kiryluk, K., Novak, J., Moldoveanu, Z., Herr, A.B., Renfrow M. B., Wyatt, R.J., Scolari, F., Mestecky, J., Gharavi, A.G., Julian, B.A. “The Pathophysiology of IgA Nephropathy” (2011), J. Amer. Soc. Neph., Oct.;22:1795-803.  21949093 
Gang, X, Boerma, L.J., Cox, B.D., Qiu, C., Kang, S., Smith, C.D., Renfrow, M.B.#, Muccio, D.D.#,, “Structure, Energetics, and Dynamics of Binding Coactivator Peptide to Human Retinoid X Receptor Alpha Ligand Binding Domain Complex with 9-cis-Retinoic Acid” (2011) Biochemistry,50(1);93-105.  21049972 
Takahashi, K., Wall, S.B., Suzuki, H., Hall, S. Smith, A.D.,IV, Poulsen, K., Kilian, M., Julian, B.A., Mestecky, J., Novak, J., Renfrow, M.B. “Clustered O-glycans of IgA1: Defining macro- and micro-heterogeneity by use of electron capture/transfer dissociation.” (2010) Mol. Cell. Proteomics. 9:2545-57.   20823119 
Raska, M., Takahashi, K., Hall, S., Moldoveanu, Z., Elliot, Wilson, L., Brown, R., Barnes, S., Tomana, M., Smith, Mestecky, J., Renfrow, M.B., Novak, J. “Glycosylation pattern of HIV-1 gp120 is cell specific and affects binding of neutralizing antibodies. (2010) J. Biol. Chem., 285:20860-9.  20439465 
Renfrow, M.B., MacKay, C.L., Chalmers, M.J., Julian, B.A., Mestecky, J., Kilian, M., Poulsen, K., Emmett, M.R., Marshall, A.G., Novak, J. “Analysis of O-glycan Heterogeneity in IgA1 Myeloma Proteins by Fourier Transform Ion Cyclotron Resonance Mass Spectrometry: Implications for IgA Nephropathy.” (2007) Analytical and Bioanalytical Chemistry, 389:1397-407.  17712550 
Renfrow, M.B., Cooper, H.J., Kulhavy, R., Tomana, M., Emmett, M.R., Mestecky, J., Marshall, A.G., Novak, J. “Determination of aberrant O-glycosylation in the IgA1 hinge region by electron capture dissociation Fourier transform-ion cyclotron resonance mass spectrometry” (2005) J. Biol. Chem., 280:19136-45.   15728186 
 

Keywords
Fourier transform mass spectrometry (FT-MS), protein glycosylation, IgA O-glycosylation, IgA nephropathy, proteomics, glycoproteomics