Team Leader
Ai Niitsu
Ph.D.
Laboratory for Dynamic Biomolecule Design
LocationYokohama / West Research Building
E-mailai.niitsu[at]riken.jp
Please replace [at] with @.
To understand functions of biomolecules, it is crucial to grasp their structural dynamics. The Laboratory for Dynamic Biomolecule Design aims to develop methods for designing biomolecules, such as membrane proteins and peptides, with controllable conformational dynamics through combination of protein design and molecular simulation techniques. Our primary objective is to uncover the mechanisms governing biomolecular functions through experimental characterization of the designed molecules. By incorporating a chemical perspective, we also aim to expand the application of our designed biomolecules as tools for perturbing cell dynamics, imaging cells and tissues, and sensing environment, useful to life science research.
Selected Publications
Tan C, Niitsu A, Sugita Y.
Highly Charged Proteins and Their Repulsive Interactions Antagonize Biomolecular Condensation.
Journal of American Chemical Society Au
3(3), 834-848 Mon Mar 27 00:00:00 JST 2023
doi: 10.1021/jacsau.2c00646
Niitsu A, Sugita Y.
Towards de novo design of transmembrane α-helical assemblies using structural modelling and molecular dynamics simulation.
Physical Chemistry Chemical Physics
25(5), 3595-3606 Wed Feb 01 00:00:00 JST 2023
doi: 10.1039/d2cp03972a
Scott AJ, Niitsu A, Kratochvil HT, et al.
Constructing ion channels from water-soluble α-helical barrels.
Nature Chemistry
13(7), 643-650 Thu Jul 01 00:00:00 JST 2021
doi: 10.1038/s41557-021-00688-0
Niitsu A, Re S, Oshima H, et al.
De Novo Prediction of Binders and Nonbinders for T4 Lysozyme by gREST Simulations.
Journal of Chemical Information and Modeling
59(9), 3879-3888 Mon Sep 23 00:00:00 JST 2019
doi: 10.1021/acs.jcim.9b00416
Niitsu A, Egawa A, Ikeda K, et al.
Veratridine binding to a transmembrane helix of sodium channel Nav1.4 determined by solid-state NMR.
Bioorganic & Medicinal Chemistry
26(21), 5644-5653 Thu Nov 15 00:00:00 JST 2018
doi: 10.1016/j.bmc.2018.10.012
Thomas F, Niitsu A, Oregioni A, et al.
Conformational Dynamics of Asparagine at Coiled-Coil Interfaces.
Biochemistry
56(50), 6544-6554 Tue Dec 19 00:00:00 JST 2017
doi: 10.1021/acs.biochem.7b00848
Niitsu A, Heal JW, Fauland K, et al.
Membrane-spanning α-helical barrels as tractable protein-design targets.
Philosophical Transactions of the Royal Society B
372(1726), 20160213 Sat Aug 05 00:00:00 JST 2017
doi: 10.1098/rstb.2016.0213
Mahendran KR, Niitsu A, Kong L, et al.
A monodisperse transmembrane α-helical peptide barrel.
Nature Chemistry
9(5), 411-419 Mon May 01 00:00:00 JST 2017
doi: 10.1038/nchem.2647
Members
Ai Niitsu
Team Leader
