Bioinorganic Chemistry and Peptide Design
This new research group is particularly interested in the design, synthesis and characterization of novel metallopeptides with the final objective of obtaining functional molecules.
Head of Laboratory
Olga Iranzo |Auxiliary InvestigatorPhD 2003 in Chemistry, University at Buffalo - SUNY, NY | Research InterestsGroup MembersSelected PublicationsQuímica Bioinorgânica (PT) | |
Phone (+351) 214469736 |
Research Interests
This new research group is particularly interested in the design, synthesis and characterization of novel metallopeptides with the final objective of obtaining functional molecules. This research hinges on the central theme of using small peptides as starting frameworks to introduce metal centers that either will mimic the active site of natural metalloenzymes or will be novel metal binding sites. These constructs are excellent starting points for tailoring known and novel functionalities that are difficult to engineer in any other molecular scaffold, in particular in small molecules. The fact that these peptides can be produced by chemical synthesis opens the door to the introduction of unnatural amino acids, non-native metal cofactors and useful chemical probes in specific positions. This can significantly expand the set of metal coordinating ligands that are available in natural proteins and therefore, the repertoire of protein functionalities that one can envision. Our understanding of how the peptidic framework fine-tines the metal ion properties to achieve a specific functionality will further guide our development of new classes of functional metallopeptides.
Students in our group will engage in inorganic and organic synthetic chemistry, solid-phase peptide synthesis, physical methods as well as molecular biology techniques.
Group Members
Selected Publications
O. Iranzo, P.V. Thulstrup, S-B. Ryu, L. Hemmingsen and V. L.Pecoraro. “The application of 199Hg NMR and 199mHg PAC Spectroscopies to Define the Biological Chemistry of Hg(II): A Case Study Using Designed Two and Three Stranded Coiled Coils”. Chem. Eur. J., 2007, 13, 9178-9190.
O. Iranzo, C. Cabello and V .L. Pecoraro. “Heterochromia in Designed Metallopeptides: Geometry-Selective Binding of Cd(II) in a De Novo Peptide”. Angew. Chem. Int. Ed., 2007, 46, 6688-6691.
O. Iranzo, D. Ghosh and V. L. Pecoraro. “Assessing the integrity of designed homomeric parallel 3-stranded coiled coils in the presence of metal ions”. Inorg. Chem., 2006, 45, 9959-9973.
Laboratory's Website
For further information please visit the laboratory's website
Química Bioinorgânica e Design de Péptidos (PT)
Em certas condições, o nosso corpo consegue produzir níveis elevados de radicais superoxidos, espécies tóxicas que em concentrações elevadas podem provocar doenças degenerativas cardíacas e neurológicas. Para nos proteger do efeito destas moléculas, o nosso corpo possui enzimas – superoxido dismutases – capazes de eliminar especificamente os radicais superoxidos. Há medicamentos que mimetizam a acção destas enzimas e que são hoje, em dia, administrados em caso de ataque cardíaco ou AVC. No entanto, as superoxido dismutase são muito mais eficazes na destruição dos radicais superoxidos do que estes compostos. A investigação no nosso laboratório tem como objectivo construir novas moléculas, que sejam semelhantes às enzimas, utilizando os mesmos blocos de construção (os aminoácidos) e os metais manganês e ferro. A investigação que fazemos pode ser o ponto de partida para o desenvolvimento de melhores fármacos antioxidantes e dá-nos também ferramentas para compreender melhor o papel dos radicais superoxidos no nosso corpo.
