Experimental Therapeutics Institute

Structural Biology of Cellular Signaling and Chromatin Remodeling
Our research is directed at understanding molecular mechanisms underlying cellular processes in two areas in biology of healthy and disease cells: mitogenic signal transduction and chromatin-mediated gene transcription. We study conserved modular protein binding domains that mediate protein-protein interactions in transmission of signals from the cell surface to the nucleus, and enzymes that regulate function of proteins by phosphorylation and acetylation on specific amino acids. Nuclear magnetic resonance (NMR) spectroscopy in combination with other biophysical, biochemical and molecular biological techniques are used to determine three-dimensional structures of these proteins; to investigate their chemical properties for molecular recognition and modification; to elucidate their cellular functions; and to develop chemical molecules capable of modifying these functions.

Zhou M. Phosphothreonine recognition comes into focus. Nat Struct Biol 2000 Dec.; 7(12): 1085-1087.

Dhalluin C, Yan K, Plotnikova O, Lee W, Zeng L, Kuti M, Mujtaba S, Goldfarb P, Zhou M. Structural basis of SNT PTB domain interactions with distinct neurotrophic receptors. Mol Cell 2000 Oct.; 6(4): 921-929.