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Research:

Our research involves the elucidation of the structure, dynamics and function of proteins; including the role of intrinsically unfolded regions in regulating biological interactions. The major systems focus of our research is cardiovascular disease. In particular, we are interested in the function of the proteins that make up the thin filament of skeletal and cardiac muscle and regulate contraction; focusing on the calcium sensitive interactions between actin, tropomyosin, and troponin. We are presently studying the effects of drug binding, phosphorylation, acidosis and FHC mutations in the cardiac system. Our major tool is nuclear magnetic resonance spectroscopy, especially the use of multi-nuclear and multi-dimensional NMR techniques combined with the computational techniques of energy minimization and molecular dynamics to determine the structure of proteins in solution. We are also studying prion proteins in order to understand the mechanism of the conversion from the cellular to the Scrapie form; using NMR based metabolomic studies to diagnose human disease; and developing NMR methods for the study of the structure of membrane proteins.

Selected Publications:

Cai F, Kampourakis K, Parijat P, Cockburn KT, Sykes BD.
J Med Chem Lett (2023) 14, 530-533

Cai F, Kampourakis K, Cockburn KT, Sykes BD.
ACS Chemical Biology (2022) 17, 1495-1504

Cai F, Kampourakis K, Klein BA, Sykes BD.
J Med Chem Lett (2021) 12, 1503-1507

Li MX, Mercier P, Hartman JL, Sykes BD.
J. Med. Chem (2021) 64, 3062-3064.

Cai F, Robertson IM, Kampourakis T, Klein BA, Sykes BD.
ACS Chemical Biology (2020) 15, 2289-229.

Wang D, Robertson I.M, Li MX, McCully M, Crane ML, Luo Z, Tu A., Daggett V, Sykes BD, Regnier M.
Biochemistry. (2012) Jun 5;51(22):4473-87.

Pineda-Sanabria S, Robertson IM, Li MX, Sykes, BD
Cardiovascular Research (2013) 97(3); 481-489.

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Lee BL, Sykes BD, Fliegel L.
Journal of Molecular and Cellular Cardiology (2013) 61(08): 60-76.

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Robertson IM, Pineda-Sanabria SE, Holmes PC, Sykes BD.
Archives of Biochemistry and Biophysics (2014) 552-553:40-49.

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Hwang PM, Cai F, Pineda-Sanabria SE, Corson DC, Sykes BD,
Proc Natl Acad USA (2014) 111(40), 14412-14417.

Computer-aided drug discovery approach finds calcium sensitizer of the cardiac troponin complex.
Lindert S, Li MX, Sykes BD, McCammon JA.
Chemical Biology & Drug Design (2015) 85(2), 99-106.

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Hwang PH, Sykes BD.
Nat Rev Drug Discovery (2015) 14, 313-328.