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Judith N. Burstyn

Website | Awards | Publications

Professor of Chemistry and Pharmacology, Born 1959
B.A. 1980, Cornell University
Ph.D. 1986, University of California, Los Angeles

 

Room: 5327
Phone: 608-262-0328
Email: burstyn@chem.wisc.edu
Position: Professor

Selected Publications

  • "The CO-activated transcription regulator RcoM-2 from Burkholderia xenovorans is a cysteine-ligated hemoprotein that undergoes a redox-mediated ligand switch" Katherine A. Marvin, Robert L. Kerby, Hwan Youn, Gary P. Roberts, Judith N. Burstyn, Biochemistry, 2008, 47, 9016-9028.

  • "Synthesis and DNA Cleavage Activity of a Bifunctional Intercalator-Linked Copper(II) Macrocycle" Ta-Sheng Andrew Tseng, Judith N. Burstyn, Chem. Commun. 2008, 6209-6211

  • "Ferrous Human Cystathionine Beta-synthase Loses Activity During Enzyme Assay Due to a Ligand Switch Process" Melisa M. Cherney, Samuel Pazicni, Nina Frank, Katherine A. Marvin, Jan P. Kraus, Judith N. Burstyn, Biochemistry, 2007, 46, 13199-13210.

  • "Facile Oxidation-Based Synthesis of Sterically-Encumbered Four-Coordinate Bis(2,9-di-tert-butyl-1,10-phenathroline)Cu(I) and Related Three Coordinate Complexes" Bhavesh A. Gandhi, Omar Green and Judith N. Burstyn, Inorganic Chemistry, 2007, 46, 3816-3825 (Featured on the journal issue cover.)

  • "DNA Binding by an Imidazole-Sensing CooA Variant is Dependent on the Heme Redox State" Robert W. Clark, Hwan Youn, Andrea J. Lee, Gary P. Roberts, Judith N. Burstyn, J. Biol. Inorg. Chem. 2007, 12, 139-146.

  • "Modeling Proline Ligation in the Heme-Dependent CO Sensor, CooA, Using Small Molecule Analogs" Jocelyn C. Pinkert, Robert W. Clark, Judith N. Burstyn, J. Biol. Inorg. Chem. 2006, 11, 642-650.

  • "Unexpected NO-dependent DNA Binding by the CooA Homolog from C. hydrogenoformans" Robert W. Clark, Nicholas D. Lanz, Andrea J. Lee, Robert L. Kerby, Gary P. Roberts, and Judith N. Burstyn Proc. Natl. Acad. Sci., 2006, 103, 891-896.

  • "The Heme of Cystathionine b-synthase Likely Undergoes a Thermally-induced, Redox-mediated Ligand Switch" Samuel Pazicni, Melisa M. Cherney, Gudrun S. Lukat-Rogers, Jana Oliveriusova, Kenton R. Rodgers, Jan P. Kraus, Judith N. Burstyn Biochemistry, 2005, 44, 16785-16795.

  • "AgBF4-Impregnated Poly Vinyl Phenyl Ketone: An Ethylene Sensing Film" Omar Green, Nickolaus Smith, Arthur B. Ellis and Judith N Burstyn. J. Amer. Chem. Soc. 2004, 126, 5952-5953

  • "The Redox Behavior of the Heme in Cystathionine b-synthase is Sensitive to pH" Samuel Pazicni, Gudrun S. Lukat-Rogers, Jana Oliveriusova, Katherine A. Rees, Ryan B. Parks, Robert W. Clark, Kenton R. Rodgers, Jan P. Kraus, Judith N. Burstyn. Biochemistry, 2004, 43, 14684-14695.

  • "Investigation of the Role of the N-terminal Proline, the Distal Heme Ligand in the CO-Sensor CooA" Robert W. Clark, Hwan Youn, Ryan B. Parks, Melisa Cherney, Gary P. Roberts, Judith N. Burstyn Biochemistry, 2004, 43, 14149-14160.

Research Description


Research Interests:  Bioinorganic Chemistry, Allostery in Gas Sensing Metalloproteins, Metallosensor design


Our group studies gas-sensing metalloproteins, specifically how the interaction of a gas molecule with a metal center alters protein structure and function. Metalloproteins serve as sensors and signal transducers in a number of important biological processes. For example, NO regulates your blood pressure by interacting with heme containing soluble guanylyl cyclase. Bacteria use metalloproteins to sense gases such as O2, CO, and NO in their environment, and plants use copper to detect ethylene, a hormone that regulates plant development. In our laboratory, research efforts are directed towards understanding how gas sensing occurs at a metal center, and how changes in the coordination chemistry at the metal center are coupled to allosteric conformational changes in the protein.

Through our studies of the mammalian NO-sensor soluble guanylyl cyclase and the bacterial CO-sensor CooA, we learned that interaction of gas molecules with the heme centers induces changes in the coordination geometry, and these changes correlate with functional changes in the proteins. Our current work aims to elucidate the mechanisms by which the coordination changes are communicated through the protein. To this end we study several gas-responsive transcription factors, including two newly discovered types of heme-containing gas sensor.

We are also investigating how the heme group in the enzyme cystathionine-b-synthase serves to regulate its function. Other research is aimed at modeling the copper center in the plant ethylene receptor and developing both small molecule- and polymer-based sensors for ethylene. In our studies we utilize a variety of biochemical and biophysical methods, including enzyme kinetics, protein modification or mutagenesis, electronic absorption, EPR, resonance Raman, CD and fluorescence spectroscopies, to probe the structure-function relationships. Our group is highly interactive and interdisciplinary, with a number of active collaborations at UW and other institutions.

 

 

Awards

  • Vilas Associates Award (2005-2006)

  • Doris Slesinger Award for Excellence in Mentoring (2005)

  • Fellow of UW-Madison Teaching Academy (2004)

  • Women in Engineering Program Award (Women in Science and Engineering Residential Program, UW-Madison; Co-Directors Judith N. Burstyn and Wendy C. Crone)

  • Alfred P. Sloan Research Fellow  (1996-1998)

  • Dave McClain Research Award, American Heart Association, Wisconsin Affiliate  (1994)

  • Alumni Distinguished Service Award, University of Wisconsin-Eau Claire  (1987)

  • Aid for Cancer Research Fellow  (1987-1989 -declined)

  • American Cancer Society Postdoctoral Fellow  (1987-1989)

  • Teaching Assistant Award, Department of Chemistry and Biochemistry, UCLA