Sharof Tugizov, PhD

Professor Emeritus

A goal of my laboratory is to understand the molecular mechanisms of the interactions of human viruses, including human immunodeficiency virus and herpes viruses with oropharyngeal and genital mucosal epithelia. Specifically, we investigate the molecular mechanisms of transepithelial transmission of these viruses through the mucosal epithelium. Understanding viral transmission via the mucosal epithelium is important for preventing the initial steps of viral infection.

Education

Postdoctoral Studies, - Graduate Division, University of California, San Francisco

Publications

Padilla NT, Cai X, Herrera R, Rosbe K, Tugizov SM. Breast milk lacking anti-human immunodeficiency virus activity promotes exocytosis of HIV from the mother's mammary epithelium and transcytosis of virus via the infant's tonsil and intestinal epithelial cells. 2025. PMID: 40946601
Tugizov S. HIV-1 Tat-induced disruption of epithelial junctions and epithelial-mesenchymal transition of oral and genital epithelial cells lead to increased invasiveness of neoplastic cells and the spread of herpes simplex virus and cytomegalovirus. 2025. PMID: 40018040
Cai X, Padilla NT, Rosbe K, Tugizov SM. Breast milk induces the differentiation of monocytes into macrophages, promoting human cytomegalovirus infection. 2024. PMID: 39194236
Tugizov SM. Molecular Pathogenesis of Human Immunodeficiency Virus-Associated Disease of Oropharyngeal Mucosal Epithelium. 2023. PMID: 37239115
Walston JJ, Hayman IR, Gore M, Ferguson M, Temple RM, Liao J, Alam S, Meyers C, Tugizov SM, Hutt-Fletcher L, Sample CE. The Epstein-Barr Virus Glycoprotein BDLF2 Is Essential for Efficient Viral Spread in Stratified Epithelium. 2023. PMID: 36688650
Lien K, Mayer W, Herrera R, Padilla NT, Cai X, Lin V, Pholcharoenchit R, Palefsky J, Tugizov SM. HIV-1 Proteins gp120 and Tat Promote Epithelial-Mesenchymal Transition and Invasiveness of HPV-Positive and HPV-Negative Neoplastic Genital and Oral Epithelial Cells. 2022. PMID: 36314970
Herrera R, Rosbe K, Tugizov SM. Inactivation of HIV-1 in Polarized Infant Tonsil Epithelial Cells by Human Beta-Defensins 2 and 3 Tagged with the Protein Transduction Domain of HIV-1 Tat. 2021. PMID: 34696473
Sufiawati I, Herrera R, Mayer W, Cai X, Borkakoti J, Lin V, Rosbe K, Tugizov SM. Human immunodeficiency virus and human cytomegalovirus coinfection of infant tonsil epithelium may synergistically promote both HIV-1 and HCMV spread and infection. 2021. PMID: 34232730
Tugizov S. Virus-associated disruption of mucosal epithelial tight junctions and its role in viral transmission and spread. 2021. PMID: 34241579
Tugizov SM. Human immunodeficiency virus interaction with oral and genital mucosal epithelia may lead to epithelial-mesenchymal transition and sequestration of virions in the endosomal compartments. 2020. PMID: 32862547
Weinberg A, Tugizov S, Pandiyan P, Jin G, Rakshit S, Vyakarnam A, Naglik JR. Innate immune mechanisms to oral pathogens in oral mucosa of HIV-infected individuals. 2020. PMID: 32862519
Lien K, Mayer W, Herrera R, Rosbe K, Tugizov SM. HIV-1 proteins gp120 and tat induce the epithelial-mesenchymal transition in oral and genital mucosal epithelial cells. 2019. PMID: 31869348
Walhart T, Isaacson-Wechsler E, Ang KH, Arkin M, Tugizov S, Palefsky JM. A Cell-Based Renilla Luminescence Reporter Plasmid Assay for High-Throughput Screening to Identify Novel FDA-Approved Drug Inhibitors of HPV-16 Infection. 2019. PMID: 31361520
Wechsler EI, Tugizov S, Herrera R, Costa MD, Palefsky JM. Erratum: E5 can be expressed in anal cancer and leads to epidermal growth factor receptor-induced invasion in a human papillomavirus 16-transformed anal epithelial cell line. 2018. PMID: 29966543
Sufiawati I, Tugizov SM. HIV-induced matrix metalloproteinase-9 activation through mitogen-activated protein kinase signalling promotes HSV-1 cell-to-cell spread in oral epithelial cells. 2018. PMID: 29775175
Wechsler EI, Tugizov S, Herrera R, Da Costa M, Palefsky JM. E5 can be expressed in anal cancer and leads to epidermal growth factor receptor-induced invasion in a human papillomavirus 16-transformed anal epithelial cell line. 2018. PMID: 29624161
Yasen A, Herrera R, Rosbe K, Lien K, Tugizov SM. HIV internalization into oral and genital epithelial cells by endocytosis and macropinocytosis leads to viral sequestration in the vesicles. 2017. PMID: 29277006
Yasen A, Herrera R, Rosbe K, Lien K, Tugizov SM. Release of HIV-1 sequestered in the vesicles of oral and genital mucosal epithelial cells by epithelial-lymphocyte interaction. 2017. PMID: 28241053
Haga T, Efird JT, Tugizov S, Palefsky JM. Increased TNF-alpha and sTNFR2 levels are associated with high-grade anal squamous intraepithelial lesions in HIV-positive patients with low CD4 level. 2016. PMID: 28720441
Tugizov S. Human immunodeficiency virus-associated disruption of mucosal barriers and its role in HIV transmission and pathogenesis of HIV/AIDS disease. 2016. PMID: 27583187
Herrera R, Morris M, Rosbe K, Feng Z, Weinberg A, Tugizov S. Human beta-defensins 2 and -3 cointernalize with human immunodeficiency virus via heparan sulfate proteoglycans and reduce infectivity of intracellular virions in tonsil epithelial cells. 2015. PMID: 26539799
Sufiawati I, Tugizov SM. HIV-associated disruption of tight and adherens junctions of oral epithelial cells facilitates HSV-1 infection and spread. 2014. PMID: 24586397
Tugizov SM, Herrera R, Chin-Hong P, Veluppillai P, Greenspan D, Michael Berry J, Pilcher CD, Shiboski CH, Jay N, Rubin M, Chein A, Palefsky JM. HIV-associated disruption of mucosal epithelium facilitates paracellular penetration by human papillomavirus. 2013. PMID: 24074602
Tugizov SM, Herrera R, Palefsky JM. Epstein-Barr virus transcytosis through polarized oral epithelial cells. 2013. PMID: 23698302
Sharof M. Tugizov, Rossana Herrera, Piri Veluppillai, Deborah Greenspan, Joel M. Palefsky. 46. HIV-induced epithelial–mesenchymal transition in mucosal epithelium facilitates HPV paracellular penetration. 2013. PMID:
Erin Isaacson Wechsler, Sharof Tugizov, Joel Palefsky. 48. Cidofovir treatment prevents invasion of invasive HPV-16-positive anal keratinocytes. 2013. PMID:
. Sargeant, S. Deverasetty, Y. Luo, A. Villahoz-Baleta, S. Zobrist, V. Rathnayake, J. Russo, M. Muesing, M. Schiller, R. Andrabi, R. Kumar, M. Bala, A. Nair, A. Biswas, N. Wig, P. Kumar, K. Luthra, N. Gonzalez, K. McKee, E. Yuste, J.R. Mascola, J. Alcamí, L. Vojnov, M. Martins, A. Bean, M. Veloso de Santana, J. Sacha, N. Wilson, M. Bonaldo, R. Galler, M. Stevenson, D. Watkins, M. Aziz, M. Mata, F. Mahmood, H. Durkin, C. Liu, R. Greenblatt, M. Nowicki, E. Golub, K. Anastos, A. French, L. Baum, V.S. Wacleche, N. Chomont, A. Gosselin, P. Monteiro, M. Goupil, H. Kared, C. Tremblay, N. Bernard, M.-R. Boulassel, J.-P. Routy, P. Ancuta, J. Jadlowsky, C. Baiduc, M. Richardson, A. Bennett, B. Jakobsen, J.L. Riley, B. Vingert, D. Benati, O. Lambotte, P. de Truchis, L. Slama, P. Jeannin, S. Perez-Patrigeon, F. Boufassa, W.W. Kwok, F. Lemaître, J.-F. Delfraissy, J. Thèze, L.A. Chakrabarti, M. French, R. Center, K. Wilson, I. Fleyfel, S. Fernandez, A. Kelleher, P. An, J. Goedert, S. Donfield, S. Buchbinder, G. Kirk, R. Detels, C. Winkler, J. Lajoie, J. Juno, A. Burgener, S. Rahman, K. Mogk, C. Wachihi, J. Mwanjewe, F.A. Plummer, J. Kimani, T.B. Ball, K.R. Fowke, A. Burgener, J. Lajoie, C. Wachihi, J. Kimani, K. Fowke, F.A. Plummer, T.B. Ball, T.N. Dieye, A. Chentouffi, M. Camara, S. Sarr, M.V. Tran, M. Seydi, G. Dasgupta, M. Fall, G. Daneau, P.A. Diaw, L. Kestens, P.S. Sow, S. Mboup, L. Benmohamed, D.M. Asmuth, Z.-M. Ma, A. Albanese, S. Devaraj, E. Hodzic, J.-C. Garcia, T.H. Knight, N.M. Flynn, S. Mann, T. Yotter, E. Tsuchida, C.J. Miller, S. Pallikkuth, L. Micci, Z. Ende, R. Iriele, B. Cervasi, J. Else, G. Silvestri, F. Villinger, S. Pahwa, M. Paiardini, S. Solomon, K.G. Murugavel, R. Vignesh, D. Bella, R. Shoba, S. Poongulali, N. Kumarasamy, A. Landay, S.S. Solomon, C.R. Swathirajan, P. Balakrishnan, S. Cu-Uvin, K.H. Mayer, B.L. Shacklett, C.S. Palmer, J. Zhou, S. Saleh, L. Lam, A. Hearps, A. Maisa, C. Pereira, S. Lewin, A. Jaworowski, J.M. McCune, S. Crowe, G. Doitsh, N. Galloway, K. Monroe, Z. Yang, O. Zepeda, W.C. Greene, M. Patel, M.-A. Jenabian, B. Lebouché, M.-J. Brouillette, C. Tremblay, I. Kema, M.-R. Boulassel, J.-P. Routy, F. Al-Ghazawi, E. Faller, P. Parmar, J. Kakal, P. MacPherson, F. Al-Ghazawi, P. Parmar, E. Faller, S. Sugden, N. Sant, P. MacPherson, C. Vinton, J. Brenchley, B. Tabb, X.P. Hao, V.M. Hirsch, M. Paiardini, J. Lifson, G. Silvestri, J.D. Estes, F. Bushman, S. Sherrill-Mix, K. Ocwieja, R. Mukherjee, M. Brown, J. Chin, R. Custers-Allen, P. David, J. Olson, K. Travers, E. Schadt, M. Sánchez del Cojo, M.R. López-Huertas, E. Mateos, M. Coiras, J. Alcamí, G. Sampey, R. Van Duyne, I. Guendel, E. Gregg, N. Shafagati, M. Tyagi, R. Easely, Z. Klase, F. Romerio, M. Iglesias-Ussel, S. Nekhai, K. Kehn-Hall, F. Kashanchi, N. Kumar, V. Evans, S. Saleh, C.F. Pereira, P. Ellenberg, P.U. Cameron, S.R. Lewin, L. Gray, D. Cowley, E. Crespan, C. Welsh, C. Mackenzie, P. Gorry, S. Wesselingh, M. Churchill, M. Iglesias-Ussel, L. Marchionni, F. Romerio, S. Weber, H. Burger, K. Kemal, B. Weiser, K. Korn, K. Anastos, W. Doerfler, S. Saleh, D. Vatakis, P. Cameron, A. Harman, A. Cunningham, S. Lewin, D. Ma, A. Cillo, C.L. Xu, J. Kristoff, J. Fang, G. Haret-Richter, J. Mellors, I. Pandrea, C. Apetrei, B. Trinité, E. Ohlson, S. Rana, J. Alster, D.N. Levy, A.F.B. Victoriano, Y. Hibi, N. Tan Gana, K. Asamitsu, T. Okamoto, M. Marsden, M. Kovochich, N. Suree, S. Shimizu, R. Mehta, R. Cortado, G. Bristol, D.S. An, J. Zack, N. Madrid-Elena, B. Hernandez-Novoa, M. Lamas, L. Garcia-Bermejo, S. Moreno, T. Ruel, J. Achan, W. Huang, H. Cao, P. Li, L.A. Eller, M. Killian, E. Sinclair, E. Charlebois, D.V. Havlir, J. Wong, T.J. Henrich, G. Sciaranghella, J.Z. Li, S. Gallien, V. Ho, A.S. Lacasce, D.R. Kuritzkes, J. Lifson, G. Del Prete, R. Kiser, C.M. Trubey, J. Smedley, V. Coalter, K. Oswald, R. Shoemaker, R. Fast, Y. Li, A. Lara, A. Wiles, R. Wiles, R. Macallister, R. Sanchez, J. Wai, C. Tan, B. Keele, J. Estes, M. Piatakjr, D. Hazuda, J. Symons, S. Deeks, G. Hutter, A. Wensing, J. Martin, P. van Ham, L. Vandekerckhove, M. Nijhuis, C. Kline, J. Ndjomou, T. Franks, R. Kiser, V. Coalter, M. Piatak, J. Estes, J. Mellors, J. Lifson, Z. Ambrose, L. Josefsson, S. Eriksson, E. Sinclair, T. Ho, M. Killian, L. Ep.... Track A Basic Science. 2012. PMID:
Tugizov SM, Herrera R, Veluppillai P, Greenspan D, Soros V, Greene WC, Levy JA, Palefsky JM. Differential transmission of HIV traversing fetal oral/intestinal epithelia and adult oral epithelia. Volume 86 of Issue 5. 2011. PMID: 22205732
Challacombe SJ, Fidel PL, Tugizov S, Tao L, Wahl SM. HIV infection and specific mucosal immunity: workshop 4B. 2011. PMID: 21441496
Weinberg A, Naglik JR, Kohli A, Tugizov SM, Fidel PL, Liu Y, Herzberg M. Innate immunity including epithelial and nonspecific host factors: workshop 1B. 2011. PMID: 21441493
Tugizov SM, Webster-Cyriaque JY, Syrianen S, Chattopadyay A, Sroussi H, Zhang L, Kaushal A. Mechanisms of viral infections associated with HIV: workshop 2B. 2011. PMID: 21441494
Tugizov SM, Herrera R, Veluppillai P, Greenspan D, Soros V, Greene WC, Levy JA, Palefsky JM. HIV is inactivated after transepithelial migration via adult oral epithelial cells but not fetal epithelial cells. Volume 409 of Issue 2. 2010. PMID: 21056450
Dorner M, Zucol F, Alessi D, Haerle SK, Bossart W, Weber M, Byland R, Bernasconi M, Berger C, Tugizov S, Speck RF, Nadal D. beta1 integrin expression increases susceptibility of memory B cells to Epstein-Barr virus infection. 2010. PMID: 20427540
Xiao J, Palefsky JM, Herrera R, Sunshine C, Tugizov SM. EBV-positive human sera contain antibodies against the EBV BMRF-2 protein. 2009. PMID: 19698968
Xiao J, Palefsky JM, Herrera R, Berline J, Tugizov SM. EBV BMRF-2 facilitates cell-to-cell spread of virus within polarized oral epithelial cells. 2009. PMID: 19394065
Haga T, Uchide N, Tugizov S, Palefsky JM. Role of E-cadherin in the induction of apoptosis of HPV16-positive CaSki cervical cancer cells during multicellular tumor spheroid formation. 2008. PMID: 17906929
Xiao J, Palefsky JM, Herrera R, Berline J, Tugizov SM. The Epstein-Barr virus BMRF-2 protein facilitates virus attachment to oral epithelial cells. 2007. PMID: 17945327
Tugizov S, Herrera R, Veluppillai P, Greenspan J, Greenspan D, Palefsky JM. Epstein-Barr virus (EBV)-infected monocytes facilitate dissemination of EBV within the oral mucosal epithelium. 2007. PMID: 17376918
Xiao J, Palefsky JM, Herrera R, Tugizov SM. Characterization of the Epstein-Barr virus glycoprotein BMRF-2. 2006. PMID: 17081581
Tugizov S, Berline J, Herrera R, Penaranda ME, Nakagawa M, Palefsky J. Inhibition of human papillomavirus type 16 E7 phosphorylation by the S100 MRP-8/14 protein complex. 2005. PMID: 15613338
Tugizov SM, Berline JW, Palefsky JM. Epstein-Barr virus infection of polarized tongue and nasopharyngeal epithelial cells. 2003. PMID: 12592401
Tugizov S, Maidji E, Xiao J, Pereira L. An acidic cluster in the cytosolic domain of human cytomegalovirus glycoprotein B is a signal for endocytosis from the plasma membrane. 1999. PMID: 10482621
Tugizov S, Maidji E, Xiao J, Zheng Z, Pereira L. Human cytomegalovirus glycoprotein B contains autonomous determinants for vectorial targeting to apical membranes of polarized epithelial cells. 1998. PMID: 9696834
Maidji E, Tugizov S, Abenes G, Jones T, Pereira L. A novel human cytomegalovirus glycoprotein, gpUS9, which promotes cell-to-cell spread in polarized epithelial cells, colocalizes with the cytoskeletal proteins E-cadherin and F-actin. 1998. PMID: 9621030
Navarro D, Lennette E, Tugizov S, Pereira L. Humoral immune response to functional regions of human cytomegalovirus glycoprotein B. 1997. PMID: 9260696
Maidji E, Tugizov S, Jones T, Zheng Z, Pereira L. Accessory human cytomegalovirus glycoprotein US9 in the unique short component of the viral genome promotes cell-to-cell transmission of virus in polarized epithelial cells. 1996. PMID: 8970961
Zheng Z, Maidji E, Tugizov S, Pereira L. Mutations in the carboxyl-terminal hydrophobic sequence of human cytomegalovirus glycoprotein B alter transport and protein chaperone binding. 1996. PMID: 8892927
Tugizov S, Maidji E, Pereira L. Role of apical and basolateral membranes in replication of human cytomegalovirus in polarized retinal pigment epithelial cells. 1996. PMID: 8558129
Tugizov S, Wang Y, Qadri I, Navarro D, Maidji E, Pereira L. Mutated forms of human cytomegalovirus glycoprotein B are impaired in inducing syncytium formation. 1995. PMID: 7778290
Ramakrishnan M, Tugizov S, Pereira L, Lee AS. Conformation-defective herpes simplex virus 1 glycoprotein B activates the promoter of the grp94 gene that codes for the 94-kD stress protein in the endoplasmic reticulum. 1995. PMID: 7748487
Pereira L, Maidji E, Tugizov S, Jones T. Deletion mutants in human cytomegalovirus glycoprotein US9 are impaired in cell-cell transmission and in altering tight junctions of polarized human retinal pigment epithelial cells. 1995. PMID: 8668948
Tugizov S, Navarro D, Paz P, Wang Y, Qadri I, Pereira L. Function of human cytomegalovirus glycoprotein B: syncytium formation in cells constitutively expressing gB is blocked by virus-neutralizing antibodies. 1994. PMID: 8184537
Tugizov SM, Savchenkova IP, Grabovskaya IL, Makarova NE, Eraizer TL, Revazova EP, Kushch AA. Changes in expression of surface and core antigens of hepatitis B virus in different mutant clones of hepatoma PLC-PRF-5 cells. 1993. PMID: 8249446
Navarro D, Paz P, Tugizov S, Topp K, La Vail J, Pereira L. Glycoprotein B of human cytomegalovirus promotes virion penetration into cells, transmission of infection from cell to cell, and fusion of infected cells. 1993. PMID: 7692667
Grabovskaya IL, Tugizov SM, Glukhova LA, Kushch AA. Cytogenetic analysis of human hepatocarcinoma cell line PLC-PRF-5 and its mutant clones with different degrees of cell differentiation. 1993. PMID: 8384075
Tugizov ShM, Savchenkova IP, Grabovskaia IL, Kushch AA. [Changes in the gene expression of the hepatitis B virus in PLC-PRF-5 cells of human hepatocarcinoma during their acquisition of drug resistance]. 1992. PMID: 1337803
Kushch AA, Tugizov ShM, Terletskaia EN, Posevaia TA, Nikitina AA, L'vov ND, Barinskii IF. [Human hybridoma neutralizing antibodies to the herpes simplex virus]. 1992. PMID: 1337804
Shumai EP, Vorob'ev SM, Makarova NE, Tugizov ShM, Zverev VV, Kushch AA. [The immunoenzyme detection of the HIV-1 antigen by using monoclonal antibodies to protein p24]. 1992. PMID: 1290220
Filatov FP, Tugizov ShM, Savchenkova IP, Kumarev VP, Belikov AS, Kadoshnikov IuP, Kush AA, Uryvaev LV. [Recombinant surface proteins of the hepatitis B virus, exhibiting the immunodominant membrane protein of the HIV-1 virus]. 1992. PMID: 1486344
El'bert LB, Vorovich MF, Terletskaia EN, Lisitsina EA, Atanadze SN, Sidorovich IG, Khozinskii VV, Tugizov ShM, Kushch AA, Khapchaev IuKh. [The protective activity of preparations made from the tick-borne encephalitis virus grown using different cell cultures]. 1992. PMID: 1414102
Shpilevaia MV, Tugizov ShM, Kushch AA, Tsilinskii IaIa, Makarova NE. [The biological and immunochemical properties of monoclonal antibodies to the Venezuelan equine encephalomyelitis virus]. 1991. PMID: 1723821
Kushch AA, Tugizov ShM, Simonov VI, Timofeev IV, Perminova NP, Shumai EP. [The properties of monoclonal antibodies to HIV gag gene proteins]. 1991. PMID: 1796579
Vorovich MF, Timofeev AV, Atanadze SN, Tugizov ShM, Sidorovich IG, Khozinskii VV, Kushch AA, El'bert LB. [The inhibition of the pH-dependent fusion of the tick-borne encephalitis virus with artificial membranes by using non-neutralizing monoclonal antibodies]. 1991. PMID: 2055152
Vorovitch MF, Timofeev AV, Atanadze SN, Tugizov SM, Kushch AA, Elbert LB. pH-dependent fusion of tick-borne encephalitis virus with artificial membranes. 1991. PMID: 2048972
A. V. Timofeev, Alla A. Kushch, M. F. Vorovitch, S. M. Tugizov, L. B. Elbert, D. K. Lvov. A study of the NS3 nonstructural protein of tick-borne encephalitis virus using monoclonal antibodies against the virus. 1990. PMID:
Kushch AA, Beliavskii AV, Shumai EP, Tugizov ShM, Ovcharenko AV. [Monoclonal antibodies against topoisomerase I inhibit cell entering into the phase of DNA synthesis]. 1988. PMID: 2844486