Class of 2004
kfrato@jhu.edu | Double major - B.A. Biology, B.A. Physics, College of Wooster
Research
Very low affinity protein-protein interactions (hundreds of micromolar to millimolar dissociation constants) are difficult to measure using traditional biophysical techniques. I am developing a method for measuring these very weak interactions by tethering two proteins to complementary DNA oligonucleotides. Perturbation of the affinity of the complementary DNAs can be measured, and will directly reflect the interaction of the tethered proteins.
Publications
Sickmier, E.A., K.E. Frato, H. Shen, S.R. Paranawithana, M.R. Green, and C.L. Kielkopf. (2006) Structural basis for polypyrimidine-tract recognition by the essential pre-mRNA splicing factor U2AF65. Mol. Cell 23:49-59.
Sickmier, E.A., K.E. Frato, and C.L. Kielkopf. (2006) Crystallization and preliminary X-ray analysis of a U2AF65 variant in complex with a polypyrimidine-tract analogue by use of protein engineering. Acta Crystallogr. F. 62:457-459. |
