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30 posts · 6,236 views

The NCSU Biochemistry blog is a team effort by the faculty and students of the biochemistry department at NC State University to describe past and current research, science topics of general interest, our opinions of current events in science, and situations that we find humorous at a public university.

Clay Clark
30 posts

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  • May 8, 2012
  • 10:17 AM
  • 381 views

The epigenetic crystal ball

by Clay Clark in Biochem Blogs

  What if I told you there may be a new way of determining whether non-cancerous cells have the potential to form malignancies. If this were possible, it may lead to earlier diagnosis and treatment. The method may sound like … Continue reading →... Read more »

Kobayashi, Y., Absher, D., Gulzar, Z., Young, S., McKenney, J., Peehl, D., Brooks, J., Myers, R., & Sherlock, G. (2011) DNA methylation profiling reveals novel biomarkers and important roles for DNA methyltransferases in prostate cancer. Genome Research, 21(7), 1017-1027. DOI: 10.1101/gr.119487.110  

Yi, J., Dhir, M., Guzzetta, A., Iacobuzio-Donahue, C., Heo, K., Yang, K., Suzuki, H., Toyota, M., Kim, H., & Ahuja, N. (2012) DNA methylation biomarker candidates for early detection of colon cancer. Tumor Biology, 33(2), 363-372. DOI: 10.1007/s13277-011-0302-2  

Marta Kulis, Manel Esteller. (2010) DNA methylation and cancer. Advances in Genetics, 27-56. DOI: 10.1016/B978-0-12-380866-0.60002-2  

  • March 14, 2012
  • 03:43 PM
  • 373 views

Genetically programmed death pathways in bacteria

by Clay Clark in Biochem Blogs

A new paper published in PLoS Biology characterizes two bacterial death pathways Programmed cell death (PCD) in eukaryotes is a well-studied process that is used by organisms to maintain homeostasis. The mechanisms of PCD are under intense study because altered … Continue reading →... Read more »

  • March 7, 2012
  • 08:27 PM
  • 372 views

A genetically encoded site-specific label for protein imaging

by Clay Clark in Biochem Blogs

  sciseekclaimtoken-4f580c3179515 Rapid bioorthogonal labeling of proteins By Clay Clark, @biochemprof There are a number of current methods for labeling proteins for imaging either in vitro and/or in live cells and organisms, including fusions with fluorescent proteins, dyes, tags (such as SNAP, … Continue reading →... Read more »

  • March 3, 2012
  • 03:42 PM
  • 368 views

A new assay to study small GTPase interactions

by Clay Clark in Biochem Blogs

  Let there be { if  (RhoGTP + Effector == ProteinComplex) { Luc1 + Luc2 = ActiveLuciferase; LIGHT = 1; } else if (RhoGTP + GAP == RhoGDP) { RhoGDP + Effector = NoProteinComplex; LIGHT = 0; } else if (RhoGDP … Continue reading →... Read more »

Jaiswal M, Dubey BN, Koessmeier KT, Gremer L, & Ahmadian MR. (2012) Biochemical assays to characterize Rho GTPases. Methods in molecular biology (Clifton, N.J.), 37-58. PMID: 22144266  

Massoud, T., Paulmurugan, R., De, A., Ray, P., & Gambhir, S. (2007) Reporter gene imaging of protein–protein interactions in living subjects. Current Opinion in Biotechnology, 18(1), 31-37. DOI: 10.1016/j.copbio.2007.01.007  

  • May 29, 2012
  • 03:22 PM
  • 363 views

Using computer simulation to find hub proteins as biomarkers for human cancer

by Clay Clark in Biochem Blogs

  Recently I posted a blog on using miRNA profiling as biomarkers for cancer. Protein profiling is another potential tool for hunting biomarkers. Traditional microarray data are based on the assumption that each individual protein contributes independently to clinical outcomes. … Continue reading →... Read more »

  • April 23, 2012
  • 05:04 PM
  • 346 views

Will Tamiflu save the world from the avian flu?

by Clay Clark in Biochem Blogs

  No one wants to catch the flu! At the very least, it will put you out of commission for a week, and it can also cause life-threatening infections – pneumonia is the most common, although other bacterial diseases like … Continue reading →... Read more »

Monto, A., McKimm-Breschkin, J., Macken, C., Hampson, A., Hay, A., Klimov, A., Tashiro, M., Webster, R., Aymard, M., Hayden, F.... (2006) Detection of Influenza Viruses Resistant to Neuraminidase Inhibitors in Global Surveillance during the First 3 Years of Their Use. Antimicrobial Agents and Chemotherapy, 50(7), 2395-2402. DOI: 10.1128/AAC.01339-05  

Yen, H., Herlocher, L., Hoffmann, E., Matrosovich, M., Monto, A., Webster, R., & Govorkova, E. (2005) Neuraminidase Inhibitor-Resistant Influenza Viruses May Differ Substantially in Fitness and Transmissibility. Antimicrobial Agents and Chemotherapy, 49(10), 4075-4084. DOI: 10.1128/AAC.49.10.4075-4084.2005  

  • April 5, 2012
  • 02:23 PM
  • 326 views

Another reason to love mass spectrometry

by Clay Clark in Biochem Blogs

  Many scientists out there want to know about the dynamics of a protein or how a protein binds to small molecules. But sometimes that information is hard to get using classical techniques such as X-ray crystallography or NMR. Maybe … Continue reading →... Read more »

  • February 26, 2012
  • 06:10 PM
  • 325 views

“Watch” lysozyme chopping bacterial cell wall

by Clay Clark in Biochem Blogs

  When nano first met biology by Xun Lu Lysozyme is an enzyme that helps to protect us from getting bacterial infections because it can degrade and utilize the sugars in the bacterial cell wall. A good source of  lysozyme … Continue reading →... Read more »

Choi, Y., Moody, I., Sims, P., Hunt, S., Corso, B., Perez, I., Weiss, G., & Collins, P. (2012) Single-Molecule Lysozyme Dynamics Monitored by an Electronic Circuit. Science, 335(6066), 319-324. DOI: 10.1126/science.1214824  

  • May 1, 2012
  • 12:27 PM
  • 320 views

Finding biomarkers for human cancer: miRNA profiling

by Clay Clark in Biochem Blogs

A newly developed technique using miRNA profiling to characterize human cancer cells... Read more »

Sato, F., Tsuchiya, S., Meltzer, S., & Shimizu, K. (2011) MicroRNAs and epigenetics. FEBS Journal, 278(10), 1598-1609. DOI: 10.1111/j.1742-4658.2011.08089.x  

Liu, J., Zheng, M., Tang, Y., Liang, X., & Yang, Q. (2011) microRNAs, an active and versatile group in cancers. International Journal of Oral Science, 3(4), 165-175. DOI: 10.4248/IJOS11063  

Lu, J., Getz, G., Miska, E., Alvarez-Saavedra, E., Lamb, J., Peck, D., Sweet-Cordero, A., Ebert, B., Mak, R., Ferrando, A.... (2005) MicroRNA expression profiles classify human cancers. Nature, 435(7043), 834-838. DOI: 10.1038/nature03702  

Ramaswamy, S. (2001) Multiclass cancer diagnosis using tumor gene expression signatures. Proceedings of the National Academy of Sciences, 98(26), 15149-15154. DOI: 10.1073/pnas.211566398  

  • May 16, 2012
  • 05:15 PM
  • 305 views

Feeling the curves of biology: How the advances in atomic force microscopy are opening new techniques to microbiology

by Clay Clark in Biochem Blogs

  Traditional light microscopes are not able to resolve images small enough to explore the details of cells. One of the techniques used to investigate nanoscale samples is atomic force microscopy (AFM). AFM uses a very fine tip (atoms in … Continue reading →... Read more »

  • May 24, 2012
  • 12:17 PM
  • 301 views

Discovering underneath a “MudPit”

by Clay Clark in Biochem Blogs

  What is referred to as “MudPit” here is not “a pit of mud” but a technique in the mass spectrometry field which stands for “multi-dimensional protein identification technology”, a very powerful approach that has been widely used since the … Continue reading →... Read more »

  • July 5, 2012
  • 05:29 PM
  • 277 views

Ferroptosis, another way cells die

by Clay Clark in Biochem Blogs

There are a number of processes that lead to the death of a cell: apoptosis, necrosis, and autophagy are the primary mechanisms – each has a distinct biochemical and morphological fingerprint. In a new paper by Brent Stockwell’s lab at … Continue reading →... Read more »

  • October 30, 2012
  • 01:09 PM
  • 207 views

The Bcl-2 family of proteins: A life or death situation

by Clay Clark in Biochem Blogs

If you’ve taken a biochemistry class, you’ve probably heard the structure-function paradigm for proteins: amino acid sequence dictates how the protein will be folded, and the ordered 3D structure of the protein is necessary for function.(1) For example, proper formation … Continue reading →... Read more »

Dunker A.Keith, Lawson J.David, Brown Celeste J, Williams Ryan M, Romero Pedro, Oh Jeong S, Oldfield Christopher J, Campen Andrew M, Ratliff Catherine M, & Hipps Kerry W. (2001) Intrinsically disordered protein. Journal of Molecular Graphics and Modelling, 19(1), 59. DOI: 10.1016/S1093-3263(00)00138-8  

Rautureau Gilles J. P., Day Catherine L., & Hinds Mark G. (2010) Intrinsically Disordered Proteins in Bcl-2 Regulated Apoptosis. International Journal of Molecular Sciences, 11(4), 1824. DOI: 10.3390/ijms11041808  

Rodi Diane J, Janes Robert W, Sanganee Hitesh J, Holton Robert A, Wallace B.A, & Makowski Lee. (1999) Screening of a library of phage-displayed peptides identifies human Bcl-2 as a taxol-binding protein. Journal of Molecular Biology, 285(1), 203. DOI: 10.1006/jmbi.1998.2303  

  • December 13, 2012
  • 08:09 AM
  • 183 views

Order in the cell maintained by a disordered protein?

by Clay Clark in Biochem Blogs

Normally proteins have a globular shape in order to be enzymatically or structurally relevant. Intrinsically disordered proteins (IDPs) broke the protein norms by maintaining their functional roles with little to no overall structure. Most proteins have regions of disorder, such … Continue reading →... Read more »

Kalkhoven Eric. (2004) CBP and p300: HATs for different occasions. Biochemical Pharmacology, 68(6), 1145-1155. DOI: 10.1016/j.bcp.2004.03.045  

Avantaggiati M L, Ogryzko V, Gardner K, Giordano A, Levine A S, & Kelly K. (1997) Recruitment of p300/CBP in p53-dependent signal pathways. Cell, 1175-1184. PMID: 9215639  

Ferreon Josephine C, Lee Chul Won, Arai Munehito, Martinez-Yamout Maria A, Dyson H Jane, & Wright Peter E. (2009) Cooperative regulation of p53 by modulation of ternary complex formation with CBP/p300 and HDM2. Proceedings of the National Academy of Sciences of the United States of America. PMID: 19357310  

  • November 6, 2012
  • 09:32 AM
  • 180 views

Retreating to Ocean Isle

by Clay Clark in Biochem Blogs

When you think of Italy you may conjure up images of fine wines, food hearty enough to suppress the most insatiable appetite or natural beauty only a poet could describe, but I think of a birthplace. The birthplace of an … Continue reading →... Read more »

Bourne Philip E., & Friedberg Iddo. (2006) Ten Simple Rules for Selecting a Postdoctoral Position. PLoS Computational Biology, 2(11). DOI: 10.1371/journal.pcbi.0020121  

Walters Jad, Schipper Joshua L., Swartz Paul, Mattos Carla, & Clark A. Clay. (2012) Allosteric modulation of caspase 3 through mutagenesis. Bioscience Reports, 32(4), 401-411. DOI: 10.1042/BSR20120037  

  • November 13, 2012
  • 02:45 PM
  • 165 views

The perfect combination: wine, intrinsically disordered proteins and mass spectrometry

by Clay Clark in Biochem Blogs

After spending a great deal of time and energy on cancer research everyday, sometimes I like to go home and down a glass of red wine (or two, depending on the day). Then, I am left to ponder the simpler … Continue reading →... Read more »

GAWEL RICHARD. (1998) Red wine astringency: a review. Australian Journal of Grape and Wine Research, 4(2), 74-95. DOI: 10.1111/j.1755-0238.1998.tb00137.x  

Pascal Christine, Poncet-Legrand Céline, Imberty Anne, Gautier Catherine, Sarni-Manchado Pascale, Cheynier Véronique, & Vernhet Aude. (2007) Interactions between a Non Glycosylated Human Proline-Rich Protein and Flavan-3-ols Are Affected by Protein Concentration and Polyphenol/Protein Ratio. Journal of Agricultural and Food Chemistry, 55(12), 4895-4901. DOI: 10.1021/jf0704108  

Canon Francis, Ballivian Renaud, Chirot Fabien, Antoine Rodolphe, Sarni-Manchado Pascale, Lemoine Jérôme, & Dugourd Philippe. (2011) Folding of a Salivary Intrinsically Disordered Protein upon Binding to Tannins. Journal of the American Chemical Society, 133(20), 7847-7852. DOI: 10.1021/ja200534f  

  • February 25, 2013
  • 12:45 PM
  • 161 views

Chaperonin GroEL- resisting heat shock at any temperature

by Clay Clark in Biochem Blogs

Heat shock is the effect of subjecting a cell to a higher temperature than that of the ideal metabolic temperature of the organism. One of the most typical responses of the cells is transcriptional up-regulation of genes encoding heat shock … Continue reading →... Read more »

  • December 6, 2012
  • 01:40 PM
  • 159 views

Cyclotides: A new ‘wave’ of discovery

by Clay Clark in Biochem Blogs

The cyclotide family is the the largest class of circular proteins with as many as 50,000 predicted members. They are currently only found in the Violaceae, Cucurbitaceae, Rubiaceae and recently (1) Fabaceae family of the plant kingdom (violets, gourds, coffee and legumes, … Continue reading →... Read more »

Poth A. G., Colgrave M. L., Lyons R. E., Daly N. L., & Craik D. J. (2011) From the Cover: Discovery of an unusual biosynthetic origin for circular proteins in legumes. Proceedings of the National Academy of Sciences, 108(25), 10127-10132. DOI: 10.1073/pnas.1103660108  

Saska I., Gillon A. D., Hatsugai N., Dietzgen R. G., Hara-Nishimura I., Anderson M. A., & Craik D. J. (2007) An Asparaginyl Endopeptidase Mediates in Vivo Protein Backbone Cyclization. Journal of Biological Chemistry, 282(40), 29721-29728. DOI: 10.1074/jbc.M705185200  

  • February 18, 2013
  • 08:36 AM
  • 148 views

NCSU Biochemistry is going EXTREME!

by Clay Clark in Biochem Blogs

In our Protein Journal Club this semester, we are studying proteins from extremophiles. As their name suggests, extremophiles are organisms that can survive under extreme conditions. These extreme conditions include acidic or basic environments, severe hot or cold environments, lack of … Continue reading →... Read more »

  • October 22, 2012
  • 03:47 PM
  • 138 views

Free energy in the woods

by Clay Clark in Biochem Blogs

The Gibbs Conference on Biothermodynamics recently held its 26th annual meeting in Carbondale, IL. The Gibbs conference began in 1986 with a meeting to discuss the discipline of thermodynamics in biological systems. How does one apply the rigorous techniques utilized … Continue reading →... Read more »

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