Research Description
Our goal is to understand the fundamental molecular motions and
interactions that are responsible for cellular movement, and to
determine the molecular bases of muscle disorders. We approach this
multidisciplinary problem with a wide range of techniques --
physiology, enzyme kinetics, molecular genetics, peptide synthesis,
computer simulation -- but our forte is site-directed spectroscopic
probes. After attaching site-directed probes (spin labels, fluorescent
dyes, phosphorescent dyes, or isotopes) to selected muscle proteins in
solution or in cells, we perform magnetic resonance or optical
spectroscopy to directly detect the motions of the force-generating
proteins, actin and myosin, or the membrane ion pumps and channels
responsible for muscle excitation and relaxation.
Recent Publications
Lowe, D.A., B.O. Williams, D.D. Thomas and R.W. Grange. 2006. Molecular
and cellular contractile dysfunction of dystrophic muscle from young
mice. Muscle Nerve 34: 92-100.
Traaseth, N.J., D.D. Thomas and G. Veglia. 2006. Effects of Ser16
phosphorylation on the allosteric transitions of phospholamban/Ca(2+)-ATPase
complex. J Mol Biol, in press.
Karim, C.B., Z. Zhang, E.C. Howard, K.D. Torgersen and D.D. Thomas.
2006. Phosphorylation-dependent conformational switch in spin-labeled phospholamban
bound to SERCA. J Mol Biol, 358: 1032-40.
Buffy, J.J., B.A. Buck-Koehntop, F. Porcelli, N.J. Traaseth,
D.D. Thomas and G. Veglia. 2006. Defining the intramembrane binding mechanism
of sarcolipin to calcium ATPase using solution NMR spectroscopy. J Mol Biol,
358: 420-9.
Traverse J.H., Y. E. Nesmelov, M. Crampton, P. Lindstrom, D.
D. Thomas and R. J. Bache. 2006. Measurement of myocardial free radical production
during exercise using EPR spectrscopy. Am J Physiol Heart Circ Physiol, e-published.
Zhang, J., B. J. Wallar, C. V. Popescu, D. B. Renner, D. D. Thomas,
and J. D. Lipscomb. 2006. Methane monooxygenase hydroxylase and B component
interactions. Biochemistry, 45: 2913-26. 2006.
Nesmelov, Y. E. and D. D. Thomas. Multibore sample cell increases
EPR sensitivity for aqueous samples. 2005. J of Magn Reson, 178: 318-24.
Prochniewicz, E., N. Janson, D. D. Thomas, and E. M. De La Cruz.
2005. Cofilin increases the torsional flexibility and dynamics of actin filaments.
J Molec Biol, 353, 990-1000. Korman, V. L., S. E. B. Anderson, E. Prochniewicz, M. A. Titus and
D. D. Thomas. 2005. Structural dynamics of the actin-myosin interface
by site-directed spectroscopy. J Molec Biol, 356: 1107-17. Balog, E. M., L. E. Norton, D. D. Thomas and B. R. Fruen. 2005.
Role of calmodulin methionine residues in mediating the productive
association with cardiac ryanodine receptors. Am J Physiol Heart
Circ Physiol, 290: H794-9. Prochniewicz, E., D. D. Thomas, and L. V. Thompson. 2005. Age-related
decline in actomyosin function. J Gerontol A Biol Sci, 60A (4): 425-431.
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