Transition Metals in Biology
Our paper entitled “A Set of Robust Fluorescent Peptide Probes That Quantify Cu(II) Binding Affinities in the Range Micromolar to Femtomolar” by T. R. Young, C. J. K. Wijekoon, B. Spyrou, P. S. Donnelly, A. G. Wedd and Z. Xiao has now been published (Metallomics, 2015, 7, 567-78)
Laura Cortes and Tessa Young were selected to speak at the RACI Student Inorganic Chemistry Symposium at La Trobe University. Laura’s title was “Seven Copper sites in a Copper Enzyme Have Evolved to Control Copper Toxicity in E. coli” and Tessa’s title was “Affinity of the Aβ Peptide for Cu(I) and Cu(II)”. Tessa was awarded one of the prizes for best oral presentation.
Laura, Tessa, Doctor Xiao and Professor Wedd attended the Seventh Asian Biological Inorganic Chemistry Conference on the Gold Coast, Queensland. Laura and Tessa presented posters on their work and were selected for short oral presentations in the ‘Poster Slam’ competition. Doctor Xiao made an oral presentation entitled “A Set of Sensitive Fluorescent Probes for Quantification of Cu(II) Binding Affinities in the Micromolar to Femtomolar Range”. Professor Wedd presented a plenary lecture entitled “Copper at the Molecular Level: Roles in Health and Disease”.
The Royal Society of Chemistry has announced publication of the book ‘Binding, Transport and Storage of Metal Ions in Biological Cells’, edited by Wolfgang Maret (Kings College London) and Anthony Wedd (The University of Melbourne). This book is structured around the periodic table and focuses on the control of metal ions in cells. There are 28 chapters covering individual metal ions (over 900 pages). They include essential ions (such as Ca, Fe, Zn, Cu, etc) and toxic ions (such as Cr, Cd, Hg, Pb, etc).
Jens Brose received the news that his PhD thesis was accepted. The referees were very complimentary. Congratulations, Jens !!
Professor Wedd attended the Biometals 2014 Conference at Duke University in the Research Triangle of North Carolina, US. He presented a keynote lecture entitled “A Correlation between Copper Homeostasis and Sulfur Redox Chemistry?”.
Professor Wedd visited the Centre for Metals in Biology at the University of Queensland. He delivered a lecture entitled “Intriguing Aspects of the Metabolism of Copper” at a one-day symposium in the Centre.
PhD student Tatsuya Kitagawa has returned to the Nagoya Institute of Technology in Japan. He was with us for 10 months, working on the intriguing protein Sumo-2. The work initiated with Dr Blaine Roberts (Florey Institute) who will continue the work here in Melbourne.
Our paper “Redox Sulfur Chemistry of the Copper Chaperone Atox1 is Regulated by the Enzyme Glutaredoxin 1, the Reduction Potential of the Glutathione Couple GSSG/2GSH and the Availability of Cu(I)” by C. M. Sze, Z. Shi, G. N. Khairallah, L. Feketeova, R. A. J. OHair, Z. Xiao, P. S. Donnelly and A.G. Wedd has now been published on the Web (Metallomics 2014, 6, MT-ART-01-2014-000020.R1) It also has been highlighted by the journal as one of its HOT articles.
Our paper “An Integrated Study of the Affinities of the Abeta16 Peptide for Cu(I) and Cu(II): Implications for the Catalytic Production of Reactive Oxygen Species” by Tessa R. Young, Angie Kirchner, Anthony G Wedd and Zhiguang Xiao has now been published (Metallomics 2014, 6, 505-517). The journal chose it as one of its HOT articles
Mobrick, Ashwinie and Tessa have all arrived. Unluckily, they are helping with our laboratory move from the fourth floor to the fifth floor of the Bio21 Research Insititute.
Tessa Young will commence her PhD work in March 2014. She will initially extend her work on binding of copper and catalytic activity of domains of the amyloid precursor protein.
Ashwinie Ukuwela (Bsc (Hons), University of Peradeniya, Sri Lanka) will also commence her PhD work in March 2014.
Ding-Cyuan (Mobrick) Zeng (BS, National Taiwan University) will commence his MSc
Doctor Zhiguang Xiao attended the Twelfth International Symposium on Applied Bioinorganic Chemistry (ISABC12) in Guangzhou, China on December 3rd and 6th, 2013. He presented a keynote lecture entitled “The Chemistry of Copper Ions Bound to the Amyloid Precursor Protein and to Abeta peptides Helps Define their Possible Roles in Alzheimers Disease”.
Jens Brose and Professor Wedd attended IC13, the Inorganic Chemistry Divisional Conference of the RACI in Brisbane on December 8-12, 2013. Jens took part in the Stranks Award Symposium, making both an oral and a poster presentation entitled “Redox Sulfur Chemistry in Copper Nutrition is Mediated by the Enzyme Grx1”. Professor Wedd presented a lecture entitled “The Sting in the Tail !! Reaction Mechanism of CueO, a Multi-Copper Oxidase from Escherichia coli”.
In collaboration with Professor Wolfgang Maret, Kings College, London), Professor Wedd has edited a book entitled “Binding, Transport and Storage of Metal Ions in Biological Cells” (ISBN no. 978-1-84973-599-5). It features 28 chapters covering molecular aspects of ingress, transport, regulation and egress of both essential and non-essential (toxic) metal ions. It will be published in 2014 as part of the new Metallo-Biology Series of the Royal Society of Chemistry.
Tessa Young has achieved First Class Honours in her fourth year Honours course, with an average of >90 %. Congratulations, Tessa !!
The group attended the Annual Students Symposium of the Inorganic Chemistry Group of the RACI (Victorian Branch) on Friday, November 29, 2013. Saumya Udagedara received an award for her oral presentation “Challenges in Expression and Characterisation of the Membrane Protein CopA – a Pump Essential for Copper Homeostasis in E. coli”. In addition, Laura Cortes Castrillon received the prize for “Best Question”.
Our paper “Quantification of Copper Binding to Amyloid Precursor Protein Domain 2 and its Caenorhabditis elegans Ortholog. Implications for Biological Function” by S. L. Leong, T. R. Young, K. J. Barnham, A. G. Wedd, M. G. Hinds, Z. Xiao and R Cappai has been accepted for publication in Metallomics (MT-ART-09-2013-000258).
Number of posts found: 74