Research Overview
Structural Biology Structural biology is concerned with the shape and architecture of large molecules, such as proteins, that carry out most of the activities of living cells. Structural studies explain how proteins carry out specific biological functions. Proteins, which consist of one or more folded amino acid chains, carry out their cellular activities mostly by (a) binding in highly specific ways to other proteins, (b) chemically modifying other molecules by acting as enzymes, and (c ) changing their shapes in response to cellular events. Protein Folding refers to characteristic folded shapes adopted by proteins. Such shapes are consistent, stable and reproducible within living cells. Since proteins ... Complete Information... | Research DescriptionResearch Area: Structural Biology Research Specialty: Protein Folding and Stability Protein Folding and Stability The efforts of Dr. Bryan's group in the past year have been to use genetic, biochemical and biophysical methods to the study subtilisin BPN' and streptococcal Protein G. Subtilisin BPN' is a 275 amino acid serine protease secreted by Bacillus amyloliquefaciens. It is an enzyme of considerable industrial importance and has been the subject of numerous protein engineering studies by ourselves and others. Subtilisin is an unusual example of a monomeric protein with a substantial kinetic barrier to folding and unfolding. The in vivo production of native subtilisin is... Complete Information... |
Representative PublicationsAlexander PA, He Y, Chen Y, Orban J, Bryan PN. The design and characterization of two proteins with 88% sequence identity but different structure and function. Proc Natl Acad Sci U S A. 2007 Jul 3; [Epub ahead of print] PMID: 17609385 [PubMed - as supplied by publisher] Sari N, Ruan B, Fisher KE, Alexander PA, Orban J, Bryan PN. Hydrogen-deuterium exchange in free and prodomain-complexed subtilisin. Biochemistry. 2007 Jan 23;46(3):652-8. PMID: 17223687 [PubMed - indexed for MEDLINE] Fisher KE, Ruan B, Alexander PA, Wang L, Bryan PN. Mechanism of the kinetically-controlled folding reaction of subtilisin. Biochemistry. 2007 Jan 23;46(3):640-51. PMID: 17223686 [PubMed - indexed for MEDLINE] Complete Listing... |
