vadimg@uic.edu
General Interests of the Gaponenko Laboratory:
We are interested in understanding
how protein molecules acquire and perform their
function. Functional characteristics of protein
molecules are encoded in their structure and are
revealed in their interactions with other molecules.
A multidisciplinary effort to characterize these
interactions in living cells and the ways of their
modulation through conformational flexibility
will allow efficient therapeutic intervention
and engineering of novel molecular machines. Our
long-term objective is to develop an integrated
approach to study macromolecular interactions.
This approach will provide answers to such fundamental
questions as why biomolecules interact in a specific
but versatile manner and how their functions are
established in living organisms. With this information
in hand engineering of molecular machines with
designed functions will become possible. The role
of NMR in this process is indispensable. NMR allows
investigation of weak interactions, which are
the very essence of biology, and it is the methodology
of choice for studying molecular dynamics.
Currently, our research focuses
on
(i) unraveling mechanisms responsible
for spontaneous assembly of peptide molecules
into nanostructures;
(ii) structural characterization
of inhibition of oncogenic protein Kirsten Ras
(K-Ras) by Calmodulin;
(iii) understanding the structural
basis for interactions between the Signal Transducer
and Activator of Transcription 3 (STAT3) and the
chromatin remodeling factor Histone Deacetylase
I (HDAC-I); and
(iv) elucidation of the mechanism
of cancer specific apoptosis exerted by the viral
protein Apoptin.
In order to study these important
biological systems we develop and use novel NMR
techniques in conjunction with biochemical, biophysical,
and computational approaches. Understanding how
K-Ras, STAT3, and Apoptin engage in macromolecular
interactions will have an immediate significant
impact on cancer therapy.
|
|
Dr. Vadim Gaponenko, Assistant
Professor
PhD, University of Cincinnati, Cincinnati Ohio
Postdoctoral: National Cancer Institute, Frederick,
Maryland
|
|
