Chemistry Newsblog

Researchers from the Department of Chemistry have revealed the catalytic strategy of a key enzyme for epigenetic regulation. Rajeev Ramanan, a postdoctoral scholar (Chem), currently an assistant professor at NIT Rourkela (India), Shobhit Chaturvedi, a Ph.D. candidate (Chem), Chris Schofield, University of Oxford (UK), Nicolai Lehnert, the University of Michigan, led by Christo Z. Christov (Chem) and Tatyana Karabencheva-Christova (Chem) published an article entitled: “Catalysis By the JmjC Histone Demethylase KDM4A Integrates Substrate Dynamics, Correlated Motions and Molecular Orbital Control” in Chemical Science, the flagship journal of the Royal Society of Chemistry.

The study focuses on a key enzyme for epigenetic regulation — non-heme Fe (II) Histone Demethylase KDM4A and reveals the important catalytic interactions that distinguish KDM4A from other KDMs and its catalytic mechanism with natural and alternative substrates. The research is supported by NSF grant 1904215.

Kathryn A. Perrine (Chem) and graduate student Chathura de Alwis (Chem) published their paper on detecting in situ surface corrosion using their new analysis method, “In Situ PM-IRRAS at the Air/Electrolyte/Solid Interface Reveals Oxidation of Iron to Distinct Minerals” in the Journal of Physical Chemistry A on July 23, 2020.

Ph.D. candidate Sodiq Waheed (Chem), postdoctoral scholar Rajeev Ramanan (Chem), Ph.D. candidate Shobhit Chaturvedi (Chem), Tatyana Karabencheva-Christova (Chem) and Christo Christov (Chem) were listed as co-authors in an article titled “Role of Structural Dynamics in Selectivity and Mechanism of Non-heme Fe(II) and 2-Oxoglutarate-Dependent Oxygenases Involved in DNA Repair” published in ACS Central Science.

Chris Schofield of the University of Oxford and Nicolai Lehnert of the University of Michigan were also listed as co-authors on the article.

Led by Karabencheva-Christova and Christov, the research group revealed the vital effect of DNA conformational dynamics on the catalytic mechanism of the bacterial non-heme Fe(II)- and 2-Oxoglutarate-Dependent DNA Demetylase AlkB and the human homolog AlkBH2. The article was also selected for a supplementary cover. 

Haiying Liu (Chem), Rudy Luck (Chem), Thomas Werner (BioSci) and their research scientists, Ph.D. candidates and undergraduate students published a paper titled “Cell Membrane-Specific Fluorescent Probe Featuring Dual and Aggregation-Induced Emissions” in ACS Applied Materials & Interfaces.

This research is supported by the National Institute of General Medical Sciences of the National Institutes of Health under Award Numbers R15GM114751 and 2R15GM114751-02 (for Haiying Liu).

Haiying Liu (Chem) and Ph.D. candidate Shulin Wan (Chem) were listed as co-authors on a paper titled “Highly sensitive determination of 4-nitrophenol with coumarin-based fluorescent molecularly imprinted poly (ionic liquid)” in the Journal of Hazardous Materials.