| Publications | Protein Structure |
Metabolic Engineering |
Molecular Biology |
Projects |
| Lab Stuff | Sequences | |||
| People |
Prasannan, Priya and Appling, Dean R. (2009) "Human mitochondrial C1-tetrahydrofolate synthase: Submitochondrial localization of the full-length enzyme and characterization of a short isoform" Arch. Biochem. Biophys. 481, 86-93 [ABB Online]
Suliman, H.S., Appling. D.R., and Robertus, J. (2007) “The gene for cobalamin-independent methionine synthase is essential in Candida albicans: A potential antifungal target”. Arch Biochem Biophys. 467, 218-226 [ABB Online]
Lee, C., Kramer, G., Graham, D. E., and Appling, D. R. (2007) "Yeast Mitochondrial Initiator tRNA Is Methylated at Guanosine 37 by the Trm5-encoded tRNA (Guanine-N1-)-methyltransferase" J. Biol. Chem. 282, 27744-27753 [JBC Online]
Lu, P., Rangan, A., Chan, S.Y., Appling, D.R., Hoffman, D.W., and Marcotte, E.M. (2007) “Global metabolic changes following loss of a feedback loop reveal dynamic steady states of the yeast metabolome” Metab Eng. 9, 8-20
Walkup, A.S. and Appling. D.R. (2005) “Enzymatic characterization of human mitochondrial C1-tetrahydrofolate synthase”. Arch Biochem Biophys. 442, 196-205 [ABB Online]
Wagner, W., Breksa, A.P. III, Monzingo, A.F., Appling, D.R. and Robertus, J.D. (2005) "Kinetic and Structural Analysis of Active Site Mutants of Monofunctional NAD-Dependent 5,10-Methylenetetrahydrofolate Dehydrogenase from Saccharomyces cerevisiae", Biochemistry 44, 13163-13171 [Biochemistry Online]
Suliman, H.S., Sawyer, G.M., Appling. D.R., and Robertus, J. (2005) “Purification and properties of cobalamin-independent methionine synthase from C. albicans and S. cerevisiae”. Arch Biochem Biophys. 441, 56-63 [ABB Online]
Garofalo, C., Kramer, G., and Appling, D.R. (2005) “Characterization of the C2 Subdomain of Yeast Mitochondrial Initiation Factor 2”, Arch. Biochem. Biophys. 439:113-120 [ABB Online]
| Frozen Yeast Stocks | ||
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Front row (left to right): Swetha Bolusani, Nicola Cole, Elizabeth Trimmer, Anne Tibbetts, Mattie, Sky Pike, Laura Weise Back row: David Lee, Peter Ruymgaart, Gisela Kramer, Dean Appling, Richard Lu |
Swetha Bolusani Graduate Student (B. Tech. Chem. Eng. 2003 Jawaharlal Nehru Tech. Univ., Hyderbad, India; M.S. Chem. Eng. 2005 Louisiana Tech, Ruston LA)
Nicola Cole Undergraduate researcher
Richard Lu Undergraduate researcher
Peter Ruymgaart Graduate Student (B.S. 1998 Regents College, Albany NY; M.S. Biochemistry 2005 Texas State Univ. San Marcos TX)
Anne Tibbetts Research Associate and Research Educator with Freshman Research Initiative (Ph.D. in Biochemistry 1999 UT Austin)
Laura Weise Undergraduate researcher
Charles Barlowe (B.S. Chemistry 1983 William and Mary) Received Ph.D. in Chemistry (Biochemistry) 1990. Dissertation: "Investigation of the Enzymology and Metabolic Function of C1-Tetrahydrofolate Synthase". Charlie is a Full Prof. in the Department of Biochemistry at Dartmouth Medical School.
Andrew Breksa (B.S. Chemistry 1994 Brigham Young University) Received Ph.D. in Chemistry (Biochemistry) 1998. Dissertation: "A Multidisciplinary Approach to the Examination of the Catalytic Mechanism, Kinetic Mechanism, and Metabolic Role of the NAD-Dependent 5,10-Methylenetetrahydrofolate Dehydrogenase (MTD1p) in Saccharomyces cerevisiae". Andrew is a Research Chemist at the USDA Agricultural Research Service Western Regional Research Center in Albany CA.
Sherwin Chan (M.S. Physiology and Cell Biology 1999 University of Alberta, Edmonton Alberta, Canada) Received Ph.D. in Biochemistry 2003. Dissertation: "Function and Regulation of Two Methylenetetrahydrofolate Reductase isozymes in Saccharomyces cerevisiae". Sherwin did a postdoctoral fellowship in the laboratory of Dr. Gerald Fink, The Whitehead Institute, MIT. He is now in law school.
Leon Fernando Garcia Martinez (B.S. Chemistry 1986 Inst. Tecnologico y de Estudios Superiores de Monterrey, Mexico) Received Ph.D. in Biochemistry 1993. Dissertation: "Studies on the Compartmentation of Folate-Mediated One-Carbon Metabolism". Leon is Associate Director of Alder Biopharmaceuticals in Bothell, WA.
Cristiana Garofalo (Ph.D. Chemistry University of Camerino, Italy) Postdoctoral Associate 2002-2004. Cristiana is now on the Faculty of Agronomy in the Dipartimento di Scienze Alimentari, Agro-Ingegneristiche, Fisiche, Economico-Agrarie e del Territorio (SAIFET) of the Università Politecnica Marche at Ancona, Italy.
Jennifer Herrera (Ph.D. Biochemistry 1999 Rice University) Postdoctoral Associate 2000-2001
Will Holmes (B.S. Zoology, 1990 University of Louisville) Received Ph.D. in Biochemistry 2001. Dissertation: "Characterization of Yeast Methenyltetrahydrofolate Synthetase and study of the Requirement for Formylation of Initiator tRNAfmet in Yeast Mitochondria". Will did a postdoctoral fellowship in the laboratory of Dr. Carole Moncman, Dept. of Cellular and Molecular Biochemistry, UK Medical Center, Lexington, KY.
Katherine Howard (B.S. Marine Science 1985 Texas A&M Galveston) Received Ph.D. in Biochemistry 1994. Dissertation: "Rat C1-Tetrahydrofolate Synthase Gene: Characterization of the Promoter and Intron/Exon Boundaries". Kathy is an Assistant Professor of Biomedical Sciences at the University of Nevada Las Vegas UNLV School of Dental Medicine.
Stephanie Joslin (B.S. Microbiology; B.A. Plan II, 2003 UT Austin) Stephanie is a graduate student at the University of Texas-Southwestern Medical School in Dallas.
Evdokia Kassini Kastanos (B.A. Biochemistry 1990 UT-Austin) Received Ph.D. in Biochemistry 1996. Dissertation: "The Roles of Serine Hydroxymethyltransferase and Methylenetetrahydrofolate Reductase Isozymes in One-Carbon Metabolism". Evdokia is an Assistant Professor in the Department of Life and Health Sciences, University of Nicosia in Cyprus.
Tim Kirksey (B.S. Chemistry 1987 University of Oklahoma) Received Ph.D. in Biochemistry 1994. Dissertation: "Investigation of the Function of Asp449 in C1-Tetrahydrofolate Synthase". Tim is a Consultant Analyst Programmer in Discovery IT at GlaxoSmithKline R&D, North Carolina.
Gisela Kramer (Ph.D. Zoophysiology 1967 Univ. of Kiel, Germany). Gisela came to UT in 1974 to work with Boyd Hardesty, and was a Senior Research Scientist in the Department of Chemistry and Biochemistry. After Hardesty retired, Gisela and I collaborated for 8 years on mitochondrial protein synthesis. Gisela retired in 2008 and returned to her home in Lübeck, Germany.
David (Changkeun) Lee (M.S. Chemistry 2000 Seoul National University, Korea) Received Ph.D. in Biochemistry August 2008. Dissertation: "Biochemical and Genetic Studies of Mitochondrial Protein Synthesis in Saccharomyces cerevisiae: Characterization of the AEP3 and TRM5 Gene Products". David is now a Postdoctoral Fellow with Youxing Jiang in the Dept. of Physiology, UT Southwestern Medical Center at Dallas.
Stephanie Muga (B.S. Biology 1986 University of North Carolina) Received Ph.D. in Biochemistry 1995. Dissertation: "Gene Expression of the Rat C1-Tetrahydrofolate Synthase in Regenerating Liver and Developing Rat Liver and Rat Kidney". Stephanie is an Asst. Prof. at the Univ. of S. Carolina School of Medicine in Columbia, S.C.
Laura Pasternack (B.S. Biochemistry 1988 University of New Mexico) Received Ph.D. in Biochemistry 1994. Dissertation: "13C NMR Analysis of Folate-Mediated One-Carbon Metabolism in Yeast". Laura is Assoc. Director of the NMR Facility, The Scripps Res. Institute, La Jolla, CA.
Schuyler Pike (B.A. Biology 1992 Cornerstone University, Grand Rapids MI) Received Ph.D. in Biochemistry December 2008. Dissertation: "Role of Mitochondrial C1-Tetrahydrofolate Synthase in embryogenesis". Sky is now a postdoctoral researcher in the laboratory of Dr. Norbert Kaminski in the Center for Integrated Toxicology at Michigan State University.
Priya Prasannan (B.S. Microbiology 1997 St. Aloysius College, India; M.S. Biochemistry 1999 Maharaja College, India) Received Ph.D. in Biochemistry December 2006. Dissertation: " Characterization of a Gene Encoding the Human Mitochondrial C1-Tetrahydrofolate Synthase and Submitochondrial Localization of the Protein". Priya is now a postdoctoral researcher in the laboratory of Dr. Jon Robertus here at UT.
Rhonda Raymond (B.S. Physical Science Education, 1994 University of New Mexico) Received Ph.D. in Biochemistry August 2000. Dissertation: "Isolation and Characterization of Two Genes Encoding Methylenetetrahydrofolate Reductase Isozymes from Saccharomyces cerevisiae". Rhonda is back at UT as a Lecturer teaching undergraduate Biochemistry.
Anice Thigpen (B.S. Chemistry 1979 Louisiana College) Received Ph.D. in Biochemistry 1990. Dissertation: "Rat C1-Tetrahydrofolate Synthase: Isolation of the Complementary DNA and Gene, Tissue-Specific Levels of the Messenger RNA, and Expression of the Protein in Yeast".
Anne Tibbetts (B.S. Chemistry/Biochemistry, 1993 Boise State University) Received Ph.D. in Biochemistry August 1999. Dissertation: "Isolation and characterization of two Saccharomyces cerevisiae AICAR transformylase/IMP cyclohydrolase isozymes". Anne is now back at UT splitting her time as a Research Associate in our lab and as a Research Educator with UT's Freshman Research Initiative (FRI) program.
Elizabeth Trimmer (Ph.D. Biochemistry Michigan) Elizabeth is an Assoc. Professor of Chemistry at Grinnell College, Iowa. Elizabeth spent the 2007-2008 academic year on a joint sabbatical with Ken Johnson and me.
Bert Vick (B.S. Biochemistry 2000 UT-Austin; Ph.D. Univ. of California - Berkeley) Bert is cofounder of Aurora Biofuels - an algal bio-energy start-up in the Bay Area.
Addie Walkup (B.S. Biochemistry 2002 McMurry University, Abilene TX) Received M.S.in Biochemistry August 2005. Thesis: "Characterization of the 10-Formyl-Tetrahydrofolate Synthetase Activity of the Human Mitochondrial C1-Tetrahydrofolate Synthase". Addie is currently a Research Associate in the Jared Rutter lab at the Univ. of Utah in Salt Lake City.
Russell Ward (B.S. Biochemistry, 1998, UT-Austin). Former undergraduate researcher and Research Assistant, Russell earned an M.D. at Texas A&M University Medical School and is now an intern.
Mary West (B.S. Biochemistry 1985 University of Dallas) Received Ph.D.
in Biochemistry 1996. Dissertation: "The Metabolic Role of the NAD-dependent
5,10-Methylenetetrahydrofolate Dehydrogenase in Saccharomyces cerevisiae".
Mary is a Research Scientist with Odyssey Pharmaceuticals, San Ramon, CA.
Yakov Woldman (Ph.D. Biochemistry, 1993, Inst. of Bioorganic Chemistry,
Novosibirsk, Russia). Yakov is an Asst. Professor in the Department of Chemistry
at Valdosta St. University, Valdosta GA.
Liwen Zhang (B.S. Cell Biol and Genetics, 1988 Peking University) Received M.S. in Biochemistry from UT in August 1993 Thesis: "Intron-exon organization of rat C1-THF synthase". Liwen earned her Ph.D. from Rutgers and is in the Dept. of Cardiovascular Diseases, Merck Research Laboratories, Rahway, NJ.
The lab has several ongoing projects, all more or less concerned with the cellular organization of folate-mediated one-carbon metabolism. We are trying to understand how metabolic pathways are structured and compartmentalized within eukaryotic cells. Some of these studies use the yeast Saccharomyces cerevisiae as a model system while others rely on whole animals (rats and mice) and mammalian cell lines. We typically focus on specific enzymes within a particular pathway, studying their biochemistry, structure and interactions with other proteins. Techniques include classical protein chemistry, recombinant DNA and molecular genetics, metabolic engineering, and NMR to follow the metabolism. These projects are supported by research grants from the Army Research Office and the National Institutes of Health.
| High Efficiency Yeast Transformation | Tetrahydrofolate Prep | (6-R,S)Methyl-THF Prep |
| Cobalamin-Dependent Methionine Synthase Assay | Methenyl-THF cyclohydrolase assay |
