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SHELLEY L. LUSETTI Associate Professor
A.A. Sacramento City College (1994) B.S. University of California, Santa Barbara (1998) Ph.D. University of Wisconsin, Madison (2002) Postdoctoral, University of Wisconsin, Madison (2002-2004) (575) 646-6016
The broad research interest of the Lusetti lab is to define the cellular processes underlying chromosomal maintenance by studying the enzymes and regulatory mechanisms that control it. We are specifically interested in the elucidation of the biochemical roles of novel enzymes involved in DNA damage response pathways. We focus on several bacterial models, using comparative biochemistry to explain the differential DNA damage tolerance of multiple bacterial organisms, including Escherichia coli, Deinococcus radiodurans and Staphylococcus aureus. We are studying various bacterial enzymes that are induced in response to DNA damage for which no biochemical function is ascribed. For example, we have described a cohesin-like function for the RecN protein, the first demonstration of such a function in a bacterial recombinational DNA repair protein. Additionally, we have recently published a novel recombinational DNA repair regulatory mechanism for the DinD protein. Finally, our research seeks to expand the understanding of bacterial DNA damage response enzymes to combat the growing problem of acquired antibiotic resistance in pathogenic bacteria. We are designing inhibitors specific to the central pathway responsible for antibiotic-induced mutagenesis leading to resistance conferring mutations in both pathogenic E. coli and S. aureus.
Uranga, L. A., Balise, V.C., Benally, C. V.,
Grey, A., and Lusetti, S. L. (2011) The Escherichia
coli DinD Protein Modulates
RecA Activity by Inhibiting Post-synaptic RecA Filaments. J.
Biol. Chem., 286, 29480-91. Lusetti, S.L., Drees, J.C., Stohl, E.A., Seifert, H.S., and Cox, M.M. (2004) The DinI and RecX proteins are competing modulators of RecA function. J. Biol. Chem., 279, 55073-9. Drees, J.C., Lusetti, S.L., Chitteni-Pattu, S., Inman, R.B., and Cox, M.M. (2004) A RecA filament capping mechanism for RecX protein. Molecular Cell, 15, 789-98. Drees, J.C., Lusetti, S.L. and Cox, M.M. (2004) Inhibition of RecA protein by the Escherichia coli RecX protein: Modulation by the RecA C terminus and filament functional state. J. Biol. Chem., 279, 52991-7 Lusetti, S.L., Voloshin, O.N., Inman, R.B., Camerini-Otero, R.D., and Cox, M.M., (2004) The DinI protein stabilizes RecA protein filaments. J. Biol. Chem., 279, 30037-46 Lusetti, S.L., Wood, E.A., Fleming, C.D., Modica, M.J., Korth, J., Abbott, L., Dwyer, D.W., Roca, A.I., Inman, R.B. and Cox, M.M. (2003) C-terminal deletions of the E. coli RecA protein: Characterization of in-vivo and in-vitro effects. J. Biol. Chem., 278, 16972-80 Lusetti, S.L., Shaw, J.J. and Cox, M.M. (2003) Magnesium ion-dependent activation of the RecA protein involves the C terminus. J. Biol. Chem., 278, 16981-88
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