Research interest
The main objective of my research is to understand mechanisms of oxidative folding of disulfide-rich conotoxins. An unprecedented diversity of conotoxins suggests existence of multiple folding mechanisms. Our experimental approach is to characterize and compare in vitro folding of several different conotoxins. We study oxidative folding of conotoxin precursors in the presence of protein disulfide isomerase and other factors that may promote formation of disulfide bonds in peptides.
My research projects also involve synthesis, folding and characterization of different conotoxins isolated from venoms of Conus snails.
Representative publications
Buczek P, Buczek O, Bulaj G "Total chemical synthesis and oxidative folding of δ-conotoxin PVIA containing an N-terminal propeptide" Biopolymers, in press
Buczek O, Yoshikami D, Bulaj G, Jimenez EC, Olivera BM "Posttranslational amino acid isomerization:A functionally important D-amino acid in an excitatory peptide" J Biol Chem, in press
Garrett JE, Buczek O, Watkins M, Olivera BM, Bulaj G (2005) "Biochemical and Gene Expression Analyses of Conotoxins in Conus textile Venom Ducts" - (2005) Biophys Biochem Res Commun 328, 362-367
Bulaj G "Formation of disulfide bonds in proteins and peptides" (2005) Biotechnol Adv. 23(1):87-92.
Buczek O, Olivera BM, Bulaj G "Propeptide Does not Act as an Intramolecular Chaperone, but Facilitates Protein Disulfide Isomerase - Assisted Folding of a Conotoxin Precursor" (2004) Biochemistry 43, 1182-96
Nielsen J, Buczek P, Bulaj G "Cosolvent-Assisted Oxidative Folding of a Bicyclic α-Conotoxin ImI" (2004) J Pept Science 10, 249-56
Bulaj G, Buczek O, Goodsell I, Jimenez EC, Kranski J, Nielsen JS, Garrett JE, Olivera BM (2003) "Efficient Oxidative Folding of Conotoxins and the Radiation of Venomous Cone Snails" Proc Natl Acad Sci USA, 100, Suppl 2, 14562-14568
Keizer DW, West PJ, Lee EF, Yoshikami D, Olivera BM, Bulaj G, Norton RS (2003) "Structural basis for tetrodotoxin-resistant sodium channel binding by α-conotoxin SmIIIA" J Biol Chem, 278, 46805-46813
Dela Cruz R, Whitby F, Buczek O, Bulaj G (2003) "Detergent-assisted oxidative folding of δ-Conotoxins" J Pept Research 61, 202-212
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