A5017412742- Bacterial Genetics and Biotechnology
- Carbohydrate Chemistry and Synthesis
- Biochemical and Molecular Research
- Complement system in diseases
- Protein Structure and Dynamics
- Bacterial Infections and Vaccines
- Lysosomal Storage Disorders Research
- Monoclonal and Polyclonal Antibodies Research
- Glycosylation and Glycoproteins Research
- Tuberculosis Research and Epidemiology
- RNA and protein synthesis mechanisms
- Enzyme Structure and Function
- Antibiotic Resistance in Bacteria
- Lipid Membrane Structure and Behavior
- Bacteriophages and microbial interactions
- Reproductive tract infections research
- Radiopharmaceutical Chemistry and Applications
- HER2/EGFR in Cancer Research
- Kruppel-like factors research
- Peptidase Inhibition and Analysis
- Enzyme Catalysis and Immobilization
- Sarcoma Diagnosis and Treatment
- Cancer Genomics and Diagnostics
- Mass Spectrometry Techniques and Applications
- Cancer-related Molecular Pathways
University of Virginia
2019-2024
Columbia University Irving Medical Center
2022
Columbia University
2015-2020
University of Nevada, Reno
2011
Polymyxins are antibiotics used in the last line of defense to combat multidrug-resistant infections by Gram-negative bacteria. Polymyxin resistance arises through charge modification bacterial outer membrane with attachment cationic sugar 4-amino-4-deoxy-l-arabinose lipid A, a reaction catalyzed integral lipid-to-lipid glycosyltransferase 4-amino-4-deoxy-L-arabinose transferase (ArnT). Here, we report crystal structures ArnT from Cupriavidus metallidurans, alone and complex carrier...
Abstract Phosphatidylinositol is critical for intracellular signalling and anchoring of carbohydrates proteins to outer cellular membranes. The defining step in phosphatidylinositol biosynthesis catalysed by CDP-alcohol phosphotransferases, transmembrane enzymes that use CDP-diacylglycerol as donor substrate this reaction, either inositol eukaryotes or phosphate prokaryotes the acceptor alcohol. Here we report structures a related enzyme, phosphatidylinositol-phosphate synthase from...
Neisseria gonorrhoeae (Gc) is a human-specific pathogen that causes the sexually transmitted infection gonorrhea. Gc survives in neutrophil-rich gonorrheal secretions, and recovered bacteria predominantly express phase-variable, surface-expressed opacity-associated (Opa) proteins (Opa+). However, expression of Opa like OpaD decreases survival when exposed to human neutrophils ex vivo. Here, we made unexpected observation incubation with normal serum, which found inflamed mucosal enhances...
Neisseria gonorrhoeae infection is characterized by local and abundant recruitment of neutrophils. Despite neutrophils' antimicrobial activities, viable N. recovered from infected individuals, leading to the question how survives neutrophil attack. One feature impacting gonorrhoeae-neutrophil interactions phase-variable opacity-associated (Opa) proteins. Most Opa proteins engage human carcinoembryonic antigen-related cell adhesion molecules (CEACAMs) facilitate bacterial binding invasion....
Abstract Peptidoglycan (PG) is an essential structural component of the bacterial cell wall that synthetized during division and elongation. PG forms extracellular polymer crucial for cellular viability, synthesis which target many antibiotics. assembly requires a glycosyltransferase (GT) to generate glycan using Lipid II substrate, then crosslinked existing via transpeptidase (TP) reaction. A Shape, Elongation, Division Sporulation (SEDS) GT enzyme Class B Penicillin Binding Protein (PBP)...
Sulfur, most abundantly found in the environment as sulfate (SO42-), is an essential element metabolites required by all living cells, including amino acids, co-factors and vitamins. However, current understanding of cellular delivery SO42- at molecular level limited. CysZ has been described a permease, but its sequence family without known structural precedent. Based on crystallographic structure information, binding flux experiments, we provide insight into mechanism CysZ-mediated...
Tuberculosis (TB), exceeded in mortality only by COVID-19 among global infectious diseases, is caused Mycobacterium tuberculosis (Mtb). The pathogenicity of Mtb largely attributed to its complex cell envelope, which includes a class glycolipids called phosphatidyl-myo-inositol mannosides (PIMs), found uniquely mycobacteria and related corynebacterineae. These maintain the integrity mycobacterial regulate permeability, mediate host-pathogen interactions. PIMs consist core decorated with one...
Abstract Human carcinoembryonic antigen‐related cell adhesion molecules (CEACAMs) are a family of receptors that mediate intercellular interactions. Pathogenic bacteria have ligands bind CEACAMs on human cells. Neisseria gonorrhoeae (Gc) encodes numerous unique outer membrane opacity‐associated (Opa) proteins for one or more CEACAMs. expressed epithelial cells facilitate Gc colonization, while those neutrophils affect phagocytosis and consequent intracellular survival Gc. Since Opa protein...
Abstract Previous studies in our laboratory have indicated that the lymphovascular embolus is not simply a cellular fragment detaches from main tumor passively but represents an active clonal selection for stem cell phenotype exhibiting enhanced signaling and survival pathways. Lymphovascular emboli exhibit increased resistance to chemotherapy patients with large numbers of decreased disease-free poorer prognosis. Florid diagnostic signature inflammatory breast cancer (IBC) other aggressive...
The lymphovascular embolus is an enigmatic stem cell-like entity adept at metastatic dissemination, and chemotherapy resistance. Using MARY-X, a human breast cancer xenograft that exhibited florid emboli in mice spheroids vitro, this study examined the vitro transition stages from minced tumoral aggregates to well-formed as surrogate for formation. MARY-X strong identity with microdissected by expression profiling aggregate-to-spheroid were characterized increased ExoC5, decreased Hgs Rab7,...
Abstract Neisseria gonorrhoeae (Gc) is a human-specific pathogen that causes the sexually transmitted infection gonorrhea. Gc survives in neutrophil-rich gonorrheal secretions, and recovered bacteria predominantly express phase-variable, surface-expressed opacity-associated (Opa) proteins (Opa+). However, expression of Opa like OpaD decreases survival when exposed to human neutrophils ex vivo . Here, we made unexpected observation incubation with normal serum, which found inflamed mucosal...