Dr. John Paul Pezacki
- B.Sc. Chemistry U. of Toronto 1994
- Ph.D. Chemistry McMaster University 1998
- Postdoctoral Fellow U. of Toronto 1999-2001
- Visiting Fellow The Scripps Research Institute 2001-2002
- Research Officer, Steacie Institute for Molecular Sciences, National Research Council of Canada
- Scientific Leader, Genomics and Health Initiative (GHI-3)
- Adjunct Professor, Chemistry Dept. University of Ottawa
- Adjunct Professor, Chemistry Dept. Queen's University
- Hepatitis C Virus: molecular mechanisms of pathogenesis
- Cardiovascular Signaling: Beta adrenergic receptor structure/function in cardiac myocytes, Nitric Oxide signaling
- Developing new tools and technologies for understanding cellular processes including molecular networks, signal transduction, and protein assemblies.
- Develop chemical probes for functional genomics and proteomics and for the microfabrication of nanoscale devices.
- Cellular models for disease for studying their molecular basis,
- Developing new high throughput screening technologies for drug discovery.
Major Research Activities
Our lab's research is in the area of chemical biology where we are developing new high throughput tools for understanding fundamental processes in cell biology. These tools also have important applications in systems biology. We apply our new tools to chemogenomics studies, activity-based proteomics, and for the interrogation of host-pathogen interactions. Our research activities include the examination of molecular mechanisms of viral replication hepatitic C virus in live cells and using chemically synthesized probes for understanding signal transduction through receptor activity. Much of what we do is cross-disciplinary but where chemistry plays an integral role.
Ianoul, A.; Grant, D. D.; Rouleau, Y.; Bani-Yaghoub, M.; Johnston, L. J.; Pezacki, J. P. “Imaging nanometer domains of -adrenergic receptor complexes on the surface of cardiac myocytes” Nature Chem. Biol. 2005 , 1 , 196 – 202.
Sagan, S.; Rouleau, Y.; Leggiadro, C.; Supekova, L.; Schultz, P.G.; Su, A.I.; Pezacki, J. P. “The Influence of Cholesterol and Lipid Metabolism on Host Cell Structure and Hepatitis C Virus Replication” In press Biochem. Cell Biol.. 2005 .
Ianoul, A.; Street, M.; Grant, D. Pezacki, J.P. Taylor, R.S.; Johnston, L.J. “Near-field scanning optical microscopy fluorescence study of ion channel localization on a cell membrane” Biophys. J. 2004 , 87, 3525–3535.
Su, A.I.; Pezacki, J. P.; Wodicka, L.; Brideau, A.; Supekova, L; Thimme, R.; Wieland, S.; Purcell, R. H.; Bukh, J.; Schultz, P.G.; Chisari, F.V. “Gene Expression Profiling in Chimpanzees with Different Outcomes to Hepatitis C Virus Infection” Proc. Natl. Acad. Sci. USA 2002 , 99 , 15669.
Pezacki, J.P.; Supekova, L; Su, A.I.; Loweth, C.J.; Riedl, R.; Geierstanger, B.; Schultz, P.G.; Wemmer, D.E. ; “Genomic Effects of Polyamide/DNA Interactions on mRNA Expression” Chemistry and Biology 2002 , 9 , 821.
Su, A.I.; Guidiotti, L.; Pezacki, J.P.; Schultz, P.G.; Chisari, F. V. “Gene Expression During the Priming Phase of Liver Regeneration After Partial Hepatectomy in Mice” Proc. Natl. Acad. Sci. USA 2002 , 99 , 11181.
Ship, N. J.; Pezacki, J. P.; Kluger, R. “Rates of release of nitric oxide from HbSNO and internal electron transfer” Bioorganic Chemistry 2003 , 31 , 3.
Pezacki, J. P.; Ship, N. J.; Kluger, R. “Release of Nitric Oxide from S-Nitrosohemoglobin. Electron Transfer as a Response to Deoxygenation” J. Am. Chem. Soc . 2001 , 123 , 4615.
Pezacki, J. P.; Pelling, A. Kluger, R. “S-Nitrosylation of Cross-Linked Hemoglobins at b -Cysteine-93. Stabilized Hemoglobins as Nitric Oxide Sources.” J. Am. Chem. Soc. 2000 , 122 , 10734.
Chaulk, S.; Pezacki, J. P.; MacMillan, A. “Studies of RNA Cleavage by Photolysis of N-Hydroxypyridine-2(1H)-thione. A New Photochemical Footprinting Method.” Biochemistry 2000 , 39 , 10448.
Kluger, R.; Lam, J. F.; Pezacki, J. P.; Yang, C.-M. “Diverting Thiamin from Catalysis to Destruction. Mechanism of Fragmentation of N1'-Methyl-2-(1-hydroxybenzyl)thiamin” J. Am. Chem. Soc. 1995 , 117 , 11383.