DNA Topoisomerases, DNA Structure and DNA Topology
By passing DNA strands through each other, the ubiquitous topoisomerases
control chromosome condensation, chromosome segregation, DNA replication,
DNA transcription, and DNA recombination. Topoisomerases break and reseal
DNA to modulate DNA supercoils, DNA catenanes, and DNA knots. Because of
their essential roles, topoisomerases are the cellular targets for widely
prescribed chemotherapeutics. The normally short-lived, broken DNA
intermediate produced by topoisomerases is increased by the drugs, which
causes cell death (more). We use biochemical, biophysical and genetic techniques
to determine how topoisomerases carry out the cellular roles and how drugs
block their function.
Current Lab Members Working on This Project:
Daniel J. Catanese, Jr., Ph.D.
Jonathan M. Fogg, Ph.D.
Collaborators:
Gregory R. Buck, Ph.D.
Hue Sun Chan, Ph.D.
Wah Chiu, Ph.D.
Bernard D. Coleman, Ph.D.
Steven J. Ludtke, Ph.D.
Anthony Maxwell, Ph.D.
Wilma K. Olson, Ph.D.
Neil Osheroff, Ph.D.
Steen E. Pedersen, Ph.D.
John J. Perona, Ph.D.
B. Montgomery Pettitt, Ph.D.
De Witt L. Sumners, Ph.D.
Funding:
1997-2001 CMB training grant (T32 GM08231)
1998-2002 Burroughs Wellcome Fund New Investigator Award (www.bwfund.org)
1998-1999 Curtis Hankamer Research Award
1999-2007 Program in Mathematics and Molecular Biology (www.math.fsu.edu/~pmmb/), Burroughs Wellcome Fund Interfaces Program (www.bwfund.org/programs/interfaces/)
2001-2005 National Science Foundation (MCB 0090880)
2002-2005 U.S. Army Material Command, Initiative for Breast Cancer DAMD17-02-1-0287
2004-2007 W. M. Keck Center for Computational and Structural Biology, National Library of Medicine T15 LM07093
2004-2010 National Institutes of Health (RO1 AI054830)