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Research Interests

My research group is primarily interested in the structural biochemistry of translational regulation through protein-nucleic acid and protein-protein interactions. Our initial studies focus on the activation of gene expression by cytoplasmic polyadenylation binding protein (CPEB), upon phosphorylation by the Aurora kinase, Eg2. Gene expression is regulated through control of transcription, splicing, export, translation, modification, transport and degradation. While transcriptional regulation represents the primary control mechanism of protein synthesis, translational regulation allows for a quicker response to stimulus and the localization of protein synthesis. My research group utilizes biomolecular NMR spectroscopy to study the interactions and structures of proteins and nucleic acids that participate in translational regulation.

Selected Publications

Brian M. Lee, Bethany A. Buck-Koehntop, Maria A. Martinez-Yamout, H. Jane Dyson and Peter E. Wright "Embryonic neural inducing factor Churchill is not a DNA-binding zinc finger protein: Solution structure reveals a solvent-exposed -sheet and zinc binuclear cluster." Journal of Molecular Biology 371 (5) 1274-1289 (2007).

Raphael Stoll, Brian M. Lee, Erik W. Debler, John H. Laity, Ian A. Wilson, H. Jane Dyson and Peter E. Wright "Structure of the Wilms tumor suppressor Protein zinc finger domain bound to DNA." Journal of Molecular Biology 372 (5) 1227-1245 (2007).

Brian M. Lee, Jing Xu, Bryan Clarkson, Maria A. Martinez-Yamout, H. Jane Dyson, David A. Case, Joel M. Gottesfeld and Peter E. Wright. "Induced fit and "lock-and-key" recognition of 5S RNA by zinc fingers of transcription factor IIIA." Journal of Molecular Biology 357 (1) 275-291 (2006)

John H. Laity, Brian M. Lee and Peter E. Wright. "Zinc finger proteins: new insights into structural and functional diversity." Current Opinion in Structural Biology 11 (1) 39-46 (2001).

Brian M. Lee, Roberto N. de Guzman, Brian G. Turner, Nico Tjandra and Michael F. Summers. "Dynamical behavior of the HIV-1 nucleocapsid protein." Journal of Molecular Biology 279 (3) 633-649 (1998).

Rossitza K. Gitti, Brian M. Lee, Jill Walker, Michael F. Summers, Sanghee Yoo and Wesley I. Sundquist. "Structure of the amino-terminal core domain of the HIV-1 capsid protein." Science 273 (5272) 231-235 (1996).