Blog Posts
Polyglutamine research funded by NIH
Starting January 2015, the NIH NIGMS has awarded our R01 proposal on the molecular characterization of the misfolding and aggregation of expanded polyglutamine proteins. Polyglutamine expansion underlies various related diseaseas, including Huntington’s Disease and several other ataxias. The nature of the misfolding mechanism and the structures of the misfolded species remain poorly understood. The R01 will support our ongoing studies using magic-angle-spinning NMR (and other tools) to provide the need structural insights.
Congratulations to Dr Cody Hoop!
Congratulations to Cody, for defending her PhD thesis entitled “Site-specific structure and dynamics of polyglutamine-containing amyloid fibrils and the caveolin scaffolding domain by magic angle spinning solid-state NMR.”!
Publication – Hoop et al (2014) “Polyglutamine amyloid core boundaries and flanking domain dynamics in huntingtin fragment fibrils determined by solid-state NMR.”
New publication on the structure and dynamics in fibrils formed from mutant huntingtin fragments, including a 44-Q exon-1. In the journal Biochemistry: Polyglutamine amyloid core boundaries and flanking domain dynamics in huntingtin fragment fibrils determined by solid-state NMR. DOI:http://dx.doi.org/10.1021/bi501010q
Publication – D-polyglutamine amyloid recruits L-polyglutamine monomers and kills cells.
New publication on the surprising features of D-polyQ, in the Journal of Molecular Biology: D-polyglutamine amyloid recruits L-polyglutamine monomers and kills cells. DOI:http://dx.doi.org/10.1016/j.jmb.2013.11.019
Eastern Analytical Symposium Award – Nov 2013
EAS New Faculty Award in NMR Spectroscopy !
Nov. 19 at the Eastern Analytical Symposium 2013, in Somerset, NJ.
Registration extended: upcoming continuing education tour of the structural biology dept facilities
Event on Oct 12th. Registration deadline: Oct 8th. Organized by the Spectroscopy Society of Pittsburgh:
http://www.ssp-pgh.org/wp-content/uploads/2013/09/SSP-Flyer-Structural-Biology-Tour_2.pdf
Publication – Spinning-rate encoded chemical shift correlations from rotational resonance solid-state NMR experiments
Jun Li’s work on rotational resonance width experiments is published in JMR:
Li, J., & van der Wel, P.C.A. Spinning-rate encoded chemical shift correlations from rotational resonance solid-state NMR experiments. Journal of Magnetic Resonance. 2013;230:117-124. http://dx.doi.org/10.1016/j.jmr.2013.02.004
Publication – β-hairpin-mediated nucleation of polyglutamine amyloid formation
Cody’s collaborative work with the Wetzel group on the structure and formation mechanism of polyglutamine aggregates is published in JMB:
Kar, K., Hoop, C.L., Drombosky, K.W., Baker, M.A., Kodali, R., Arduini, I., van der Wel, P.C.A., Horne, W.S., & Wetzel, R. β-hairpin-mediated nucleation of polyglutamine amyloid formation. J Mol Biol. 2013;425(7):1-45.
MBSB T32 fellowship awarded to Cody!
The Pitt/CMU Molecular Biophysics & Structural Biology graduate program has awarded one of its three T32 fellowships to Cody. Congratulations and great job!
New website
New wordpress-based website is now (more or less) functional.