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The University of Southampton
Chemistry

Z-DNA and Z-DNA binding proteins Seminar

Time:
12:00 - 13:00
Date:
24 June 2013
Venue:
Room 2003 Chemistry Building 27 Highfield Campus University of Southampton SO17 1BJ

For more information regarding this seminar, please email Dr Seung Lee at S.S.Lee@soton.ac.uk .

Event details

A seminar from the Molecular Diagnostics and Theraputics research group

Z-DNA, one of alternative forms of double-stranded DNA, is involved in a variety of nucleotide metabolism such as replication, transcription and chromatin remodeling. Z-DNA can be stabilized by negative supercoiling, and also recognized by specific Z-DNA binding proteins (ZBPs). Three ZBPs known in vertebrates, ADAR1, DAI and PKZ, are commonly involved in innate immunity, particularly, the IFN-induced immune response. The E3L protein of vaccinia virus, a viral ZBP, appears to compete with the host ZBP for Z-DNA binding, thereby suppressing the host immune system. In these regards, an intrinsic question is how ZBPs recognize Z-DNA and how B-DNA is converted to Z-form DNA. To provide a comprehensive answer to these questions, multidisciplinary approaches should be provided for the study of protein-DNA interaction or the structural study of Z-DNA. In this seminar, an overview of Z-DNA and ZBPs is provided. Furthermore, current understating of the ZBP binding mode to Z-DNA and the B-to-Z transition mechanism will be presented. Finally, the new perspectives on Z-DNA and ZBPs will be discussed.

Speaker information

Prof. Kyeong Kyu Kim, Department of Molecular Cell Biology, Samsung Biomedical Research Institute, Sungkyunkwan University School of Medicine, South Korea. Prof Kim's research interests are: 1) Alternative conformation of DNA (Z-DNA & Z-DNA binding proteins) 2) Synthesis and application of nanobio hybrid materials 3) Host- pathogen interaction 4) Proteostasis (bacterial protease and ubiquitin modification system) 5) Stem cell modulation

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