Sharof Tugizov, PhD, DVM
Professor Emeritus
Medicine
School of Medicine

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 & Training

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• Postdoctoral Studies Graduate Division University of California, San Francisco

Grants and Projects

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• Role of HIV in acceleration of HPV malignancy, NIH/NCI, 2018-2023
• Role of oral herpesvirus microbiota in pathogenesis of HIV mother to child transmission, NIH, 2018-2023
• Molecular mechanisms of oral HIV transmission modeling MTCT, NIH, 2013-2019
• HIV transcellular and transsynaptic penetration of mucosal epithelium, NIH, 2010-2013
• EBV BMRF-2 Protein in Infection of Oral Epithelial Cells, NIH, 2003-2010
• Hiv and Ebv Interaction in Oral Mucosal Epithelium, NIH, 2004-2007

Publications (66)

Top publication keywords:
tat Gene Products, Human Immunodeficiency VirusTight JunctionsCytomegalovirus InfectionsHIV-1TranscytosisIntercellular JunctionsHIV Envelope Protein gp120Epithelial-Mesenchymal TransitionCytomegalovirusPalatine TonsilHerpesvirus 4, HumanMouth MucosaMucous MembraneEpithelial CellsEpithelium

• 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.
  Frontiers in immunology 2025 Tugizov S
• Breast milk induces the differentiation of monocytes into macrophages, promoting human cytomegalovirus infection.
  Journal of virology 2024 Cai X, Padilla NT, Rosbe K, 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.
  Microbiology spectrum 2022 Lien K, Mayer W, Herrera R, Padilla NT, Cai X, Lin V, Pholcharoenchit R, Palefsky J, Tugizov SM
• Human Immunodeficiency Virus (HIV) and Human Cytomegalovirus (HCMV) Coinfection of Infant Tonsil Epithelium May Synergistically Promote both HIV-1 and HCMV Spread and Infection.
  Journal of virology 2021 Sufiawati I, Herrera R, Mayer W, Cai X, Borkakoti J, Lin V, Rosbe K, Tugizov SM
• HIV internalization into oral and genital epithelial cells by endocytosis and macropinocytosis leads to viral sequestration in the vesicles.
  Virology 2017 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.
  PLoS pathogens 2017 Yasen A, Herrera R, Rosbe K, Lien K, Tugizov SM
• Epstein-Barr virus infection of polarized tongue and nasopharyngeal epithelial cells.
  Nature medicine 2003 Tugizov SM, Berline JW, Palefsky JM

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• 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.
  Virology 2025 Padilla NT, Cai X, Herrera R, Rosbe K, Tugizov SM
• Molecular Pathogenesis of Human Immunodeficiency Virus-Associated Disease of Oropharyngeal Mucosal Epithelium.
  Biomedicines 2023 Tugizov SM
• The Epstein-Barr Virus Glycoprotein BDLF2 Is Essential for Efficient Viral Spread in Stratified Epithelium.
  Journal of virology 2023 Walston JJ, Hayman IR, Gore M, Ferguson M, Temple RM, Liao J, Alam S, Meyers C, Tugizov SM, Hutt-Fletcher L, Sample CE
• 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.
  Viruses 2021 Herrera R, Rosbe K, Tugizov SM
• Virus-associated disruption of mucosal epithelial tight junctions and its role in viral transmission and spread.
  Tissue barriers 2021 Tugizov S
• Human immunodeficiency virus interaction with oral and genital mucosal epithelia may lead to epithelial-mesenchymal transition and sequestration of virions in the endosomal compartments.
  Oral diseases 2020 Tugizov SM
• Innate immune mechanisms to oral pathogens in oral mucosa of HIV-infected individuals.
  Oral diseases 2020 Weinberg A, Tugizov S, Pandiyan P, Jin G, Rakshit S, Vyakarnam A, Naglik JR
• HIV-1 proteins gp120 and tat induce the epithelial-mesenchymal transition in oral and genital mucosal epithelial cells.
  PloS one 2019 Lien K, Mayer W, Herrera R, Rosbe K, Tugizov SM
• A Cell-Based Renilla Luminescence Reporter Plasmid Assay for High-Throughput Screening to Identify Novel FDA-Approved Drug Inhibitors of HPV-16 Infection.
  SLAS discovery : advancing life sciences R & D 2019 Walhart T, Isaacson-Wechsler E, Ang KH, Arkin M, Tugizov S, 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.
  The Journal of general virology 2018 Wechsler EI, Tugizov S, Herrera R, Costa MD, Palefsky JM
• HIV-induced matrix metalloproteinase-9 activation through mitogen-activated protein kinase signalling promotes HSV-1 cell-to-cell spread in oral epithelial cells.
  The Journal of general virology 2018 Sufiawati I, Tugizov SM
• 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.
  The Journal of general virology 2018 Wechsler EI, Tugizov S, Herrera R, Da Costa M, 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.
  Papillomavirus research (Amsterdam, Netherlands) 2016 Haga T, Efird JT, Tugizov S, Palefsky JM
• Human immunodeficiency virus-associated disruption of mucosal barriers and its role in HIV transmission and pathogenesis of HIV/AIDS disease.
  Tissue barriers 2016 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.
  Virology 2015 Herrera R, Morris M, Rosbe K, Feng Z, Weinberg A, Tugizov S
• HIV-associated disruption of tight and adherens junctions of oral epithelial cells facilitates HSV-1 infection and spread.
  PloS one 2014 Sufiawati I, Tugizov SM
• HIV-associated disruption of mucosal epithelium facilitates paracellular penetration by human papillomavirus.
  Virology 2013 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
• Epstein-Barr virus transcytosis through polarized oral epithelial cells.
  Journal of virology 2013 Tugizov SM, Herrera R, Palefsky JM
• 46. HIV-induced epithelial–mesenchymal transition in mucosal epithelium facilitates HPV paracellular penetration.
  Sexual Health 2013 Sharof M. Tugizov, Rossana Herrera, Piri Veluppillai, Deborah Greenspan, Joel M. Palefsky
• 48. Cidofovir treatment prevents invasion of invasive HPV-16-positive anal keratinocytes.
  Sexual Health 2013 Erin Isaacson Wechsler, Sharof Tugizov, Joel Palefsky
• Track A Basic Science.
  Journal of the International AIDS Society 2012 . 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.…
• Differential transmission of HIV traversing fetal oral/intestinal epithelia and adult oral epithelia.
  Journal of virology 2011 Tugizov SM, Herrera R, Veluppillai P, Greenspan D, Soros V, Greene WC, Levy JA, Palefsky JM
• HIV infection and specific mucosal immunity: workshop 4B.
  Advances in dental research 2011 Challacombe SJ, Fidel PL, Tugizov S, Tao L, Wahl SM
• Innate immunity including epithelial and nonspecific host factors: workshop 1B.
  Advances in dental research 2011 Weinberg A, Naglik JR, Kohli A, Tugizov SM, Fidel PL, Liu Y, Herzberg M
• Mechanisms of viral infections associated with HIV: workshop 2B.
  Advances in dental research 2011 Tugizov SM, Webster-Cyriaque JY, Syrianen S, Chattopadyay A, Sroussi H, Zhang L, Kaushal A
• HIV is inactivated after transepithelial migration via adult oral epithelial cells but not fetal epithelial cells.
  Virology 2010 Tugizov SM, Herrera R, Veluppillai P, Greenspan D, Soros V, Greene WC, Levy JA, Palefsky JM
• beta1 integrin expression increases susceptibility of memory B cells to Epstein-Barr virus infection.
  Journal of virology 2010 Dorner M, Zucol F, Alessi D, Haerle SK, Bossart W, Weber M, Byland R, Bernasconi M, Berger C, Tugizov S, Speck RF, Nadal D
• EBV-positive human sera contain antibodies against the EBV BMRF-2 protein.
  Virology 2009 Xiao J, Palefsky JM, Herrera R, Sunshine C, Tugizov SM
• EBV BMRF-2 facilitates cell-to-cell spread of virus within polarized oral epithelial cells.
  Virology 2009 Xiao J, Palefsky JM, Herrera R, Berline J, Tugizov SM
• Role of E-cadherin in the induction of apoptosis of HPV16-positive CaSki cervical cancer cells during multicellular tumor spheroid formation.
  Apoptosis : an international journal on programmed cell death 2008 Haga T, Uchide N, Tugizov S, Palefsky JM
• The Epstein-Barr virus BMRF-2 protein facilitates virus attachment to oral epithelial cells.
  Virology 2007 Xiao J, Palefsky JM, Herrera R, Berline J, Tugizov SM
• Epstein-Barr virus (EBV)-infected monocytes facilitate dissemination of EBV within the oral mucosal epithelium.
  Journal of virology 2007 Tugizov S, Herrera R, Veluppillai P, Greenspan J, Greenspan D, Palefsky JM
• Characterization of the Epstein-Barr virus glycoprotein BMRF-2.
  Virology 2006 Xiao J, Palefsky JM, Herrera R, Tugizov SM
• Inhibition of human papillomavirus type 16 E7 phosphorylation by the S100 MRP-8/14 protein complex.
  Journal of virology 2005 Tugizov S, Berline J, Herrera R, Penaranda ME, Nakagawa M, Palefsky J
• An acidic cluster in the cytosolic domain of human cytomegalovirus glycoprotein B is a signal for endocytosis from the plasma membrane.
  Journal of virology 1999 Tugizov S, Maidji E, Xiao J, Pereira L
• Human cytomegalovirus glycoprotein B contains autonomous determinants for vectorial targeting to apical membranes of polarized epithelial cells.
  Journal of virology 1998 Tugizov S, Maidji E, Xiao J, Zheng Z, 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.
  Journal of virology 1998 Maidji E, Tugizov S, Abenes G, Jones T, Pereira L
• Humoral immune response to functional regions of human cytomegalovirus glycoprotein B.
  Journal of medical virology 1997 Navarro D, Lennette E, Tugizov S, 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.
  Journal of virology 1996 Maidji E, Tugizov S, Jones T, Zheng Z, Pereira L
• Mutations in the carboxyl-terminal hydrophobic sequence of human cytomegalovirus glycoprotein B alter transport and protein chaperone binding.
  Journal of virology 1996 Zheng Z, Maidji E, Tugizov S, Pereira L
• Role of apical and basolateral membranes in replication of human cytomegalovirus in polarized retinal pigment epithelial cells.
  The Journal of general virology 1996 Tugizov S, Maidji E, Pereira L
• Mutated forms of human cytomegalovirus glycoprotein B are impaired in inducing syncytium formation.
  Virology 1995 Tugizov S, Wang Y, Qadri I, Navarro D, Maidji E, Pereira L
• 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.
  DNA and cell biology 1995 Ramakrishnan M, Tugizov S, Pereira L, Lee AS
• 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.
  Scandinavian journal of infectious diseases. Supplementum 1995 Pereira L, Maidji E, Tugizov S, Jones T
• Function of human cytomegalovirus glycoprotein B: syncytium formation in cells constitutively expressing gB is blocked by virus-neutralizing antibodies.
  Virology 1994 Tugizov S, Navarro D, Paz P, Wang Y, Qadri I, Pereira L
• Changes in expression of surface and core antigens of hepatitis B virus in different mutant clones of hepatoma PLC-PRF-5 cells.
  Virus research 1993 Tugizov SM, Savchenkova IP, Grabovskaya IL, Makarova NE, Eraizer TL, Revazova EP, Kushch AA
• Glycoprotein B of human cytomegalovirus promotes virion penetration into cells, transmission of infection from cell to cell, and fusion of infected cells.
  Virology 1993 Navarro D, Paz P, Tugizov S, Topp K, La Vail J, Pereira L
• Cytogenetic analysis of human hepatocarcinoma cell line PLC-PRF-5 and its mutant clones with different degrees of cell differentiation.
  Cancer genetics and cytogenetics 1993 Grabovskaya IL, Tugizov SM, Glukhova LA, 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].
  Voprosy virusologii 1992 Tugizov ShM, Savchenkova IP, Grabovskaia IL, Kushch AA
• [Human hybridoma neutralizing antibodies to the herpes simplex virus].
  Voprosy virusologii 1992 Kushch AA, Tugizov ShM, Terletskaia EN, Posevaia TA, Nikitina AA, L'vov ND, Barinskii IF
• [The immunoenzyme detection of the HIV-1 antigen by using monoclonal antibodies to protein p24].
  Voprosy virusologii 1992 Shumai EP, Vorob'ev SM, Makarova NE, Tugizov ShM, Zverev VV, Kushch AA
• [Recombinant surface proteins of the hepatitis B virus, exhibiting the immunodominant membrane protein of the HIV-1 virus].
  Doklady Akademii nauk 1992 Filatov FP, Tugizov ShM, Savchenkova IP, Kumarev VP, Belikov AS, Kadoshnikov IuP, Kush AA, Uryvaev LV
• [The protective activity of preparations made from the tick-borne encephalitis virus grown using different cell cultures].
  Zhurnal mikrobiologii, epidemiologii i immunobiologii 1992 El'bert LB, Vorovich MF, Terletskaia EN, Lisitsina EA, Atanadze SN, Sidorovich IG, Khozinskii VV, Tugizov ShM, Kushch AA, Khapchaev IuKh
• [The biological and immunochemical properties of monoclonal antibodies to the Venezuelan equine encephalomyelitis virus].
  Voprosy virusologii 1991 Shpilevaia MV, Tugizov ShM, Kushch AA, Tsilinskii IaIa, Makarova NE
• [The properties of monoclonal antibodies to HIV gag gene proteins].
  Voprosy virusologii 1991 Kushch AA, Tugizov ShM, Simonov VI, Timofeev IV, Perminova NP, Shumai EP
• [The inhibition of the pH-dependent fusion of the tick-borne encephalitis virus with artificial membranes by using non-neutralizing monoclonal antibodies].
  Doklady Akademii nauk SSSR 1991 Vorovich MF, Timofeev AV, Atanadze SN, Tugizov ShM, Sidorovich IG, Khozinskii VV, Kushch AA, El'bert LB
• pH-dependent fusion of tick-borne encephalitis virus with artificial membranes.
  Archives of virology 1991 Vorovitch MF, Timofeev AV, Atanadze SN, Tugizov SM, Kushch AA, Elbert LB
• A study of the NS3 nonstructural protein of tick-borne encephalitis virus using monoclonal antibodies against the virus.
  1990 A. V. Timofeev, Alla A. Kushch, M. F. Vorovitch, S. M. Tugizov, L. B. Elbert, D. K. Lvov
• [Monoclonal antibodies against topoisomerase I inhibit cell entering into the phase of DNA synthesis].
  Doklady Akademii nauk SSSR 1988 Kushch AA, Beliavskii AV, Shumai EP, Tugizov ShM, Ovcharenko AV