In partnership with the National Institute of Allergy and Infectious Diseases (NIAID)’s Seattle Structural Genomics Centers for Infectious Diseases (SSGCID), we are biochemically investigating previously uncharacterized proteins from a range of bacterial human pathogens, starting with Rickettsia felis, Legionella pneumoniae and Mycoliciobacterium smegmatis.
We have published five papers so far (see below), with a paper comparing inorganic pyrophosphatases from Neisseria gonorrhoeae and Chlamydia trachomatis currently in preparation.
Most of this research is done in Dr. McLaughlin’s Protein Crystallography (Chem/Bioc 295) class which is a CURE (Course-based Undergraduate Research Experience). Funding for this class is supported by her RCSA Cottrell Scholar Award.
See her published 2021 editorial in Structural Dynamics detailing the genesis of the protein crystallography CURE: “Developing a macromolecular crystallography driven CURE“.
Additionally in 2023, Dr. McLaughlin was interviewed about the strategy and outcomes of her protein crystallography CURE by Dr. Jon Agirre, editor of Acta Crystallographia F, here: “Using structural genomics depositions in undergraduate teaching of protein crystallography: everybody wins“
Publication milestones/timeline:
- April 2025: Chi Nguyen ’26 and Nico Lloyd-Silveman ’25 presented their research from the Protein Crystallography class at ASBMB in Chicago IL! (Chi is 1st author on the 4th and 5th papers published, and Nico is 1st author on an upcoming paper!)
- January 2025: 4th and 5th papers accepted based on work done by students in Fall 2023 class on Legionella pneumophila proteins PDF and dUTPase! https://journals.iucr.org/paper?S2053230X25001876 & https://journals.iucr.org/paper?S2053230X25001815
- May 2024: 3rd paper paper published on Mycoliciobacterium smegmatis FabG4, based on thesis work by Prashit Parikh ’21 and Xinping Ran ’22: https://journals.iucr.org/paper?S2053230X2400356X
The MsFabG4 paper was chosen for the journal issue cover (!) and we (Prashit, Xinping and Dr. MCLaughlin) were also interview as part of a new feature of the Acta Crys F journal called “Interview with the Authors. Watch the interview here: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=eZhvr3TkMQM&t=1s
- September 2023: 2nd paper published on Legionella pneumophila protein PPase, from students in the Spring 2023 Protein Crystallography course! The structure was chosen for the journal issue cover(!) https://scripts.iucr.org/cgi-bin/paper?S2053230X23008002. The editorial in this issue also profiled the Protein Crystallography course.
- February 2021: 1st paper published on R. felis protein http://scripts.iucr.org/cgi-bin/paper?S2053230X21001497
Project Citations (* denotes Vassar College Undergraduate):
- Nguyen C.*, Tramell A.*, Norman J.O*, Abendroth J., Barrett K.F, Craig J.K, Edwards T.E., Lorimer D.D, Van Voorhis W.C., McLaughlin K.J. “Structural Characterization of dUTPase from L. pneumophila”. Acta Cryst. (2025). F81, 155-162
- Nguyen C.*, Fan W.*, Fisher S.*, Matthews K.*, Norman J.O*, Abendroth J., Barrett K.F., Craig J.K., Edwards T.E., Lorimer D.D, McLaughlin K.J. “Structures of L. pneumophila serogroup 1 peptide deformylase bound to Ni(II) and actinonin”. Acta Cryst. (2025). F81, 163-170
- Ran X*, Parikh P*, Abendroth J, Arakaki TL, Clifton MC, Edwards TE, Lorimer DD, Mayclin S, Staker BL, Myler P, McLaughlin KJ. Acta Crystallogr F Struct Biol Commun. 2024 Apr 1;80(Pt 4):82-91. doi: 10.1107/S2053230X2400356X.
- Moorefield, J.*, Konuk, Y.*, Norman, J. O.*, Abendroth, J., Edwards, T. E., Lorimer, D. D., Mayclin, S. J., Staker, B. L., Craig, J. K., Barett, K. F., Barrett, L. K., Van Voorhis, W. C., Myler, P. J. & McLaughlin, K. J. (2023). Acta Crystallogr F Struct Biol Commun. F79, 257-266.
- Rodarte JV*, Abendroth J, Edwards TE, Lorimer DD, Staker BL, Zhang S, Myler PJ, McLaughlin KJ. Crystal structure of acetoacetyl-CoA reductase from Rickettsia felis. Acta Crystallogr F Struct Biol Commun. 2021 Feb 1;77(Pt 2):54-60.