LEADERSHIP | FACULTY | STAFF

Robert Clubb, PHD

UCLA
Department of Chemistry & Biochemistry
656 MBI
Box 951569
Los Angeles, CA 90095-1569

Tel: (310) 206-2334
Email: rclubb@mbi.ucla.edu
Website: http://www.doe-mbi.ucla.edu/People/Clubb/

Research Interests

My group is studying two related DNA recombination reactions linked to the dissemination of antibiotic resistance in pathogenic bacteria. Much of our work is focused on understanding how the recombinases and architectural factors of these systems recognize DNA and assemble into recombination competent nucleoprotein complexes. In complementary work, we are investigating the enzymatic reaction used by Gram-positive bacteria to covalently anchor proteins to the cell wall, with a long-term goal of rationally developing new anti-microbial agents that wold inhibit this process. Common to both of these projects is a genueral interest in the principles of molecular recognition, which is furthered by the study of novel macromolecular interactions and by the development of new nuclear magnetic resonance (NMR) methods.
  • Conjugative Transposons and Bacteriophage-lambda

    I. Biochemical and genetic analysis of recombinase function
    II. Structural biology of recombinase and architectural factor function
  • Sortase enzymes and cell surface protein attachment in pathogenic bacteria
  • Novel forms of molecular recognition

Solution structure of the sortase enzyme (Proceedings of the National Academy of Sciences (USA) 98, 6056-6061, 2001)

Structure of the Mu Repressor-DNA complex (Nature Structural Biology 8, 84-90, 2001.)

Selected Publications

  • Iwahara J and Clubb RT, "Solution Structure of the DNA-Binding Domain from Dead Ringer, a Sequence Specific AT-Rich Interaction Domain (ARID)", EMBO Journal 18, 6084-6094 (1999).
  • Connolly KM, Ilangovan U, Wojciak JM, Iwahara M and Clubb RT, "Major Groove Recognition by Three-Stranded beta-Sheets: Affinity Determinants and Conserved Structural Features" Journal of Molecular Biology 300, 841-856, (2000).
  • Wojciak JM, Iwahara J and Clubb RT, "The Solution Structure of the Mu repressor-DNA complex contains an immobilized Œwingı within the minor groove", Nature Structural Biology 8, 84-90 (2001).
  • Iwahara J Wojciak JM, and Clubb RT, "Improved NMR spectra of a protein-DNA complex through rational mutagenesis and the application of a sensitivity optimized isotope-filtered NOESY experiment", Journal of Biomolecular NMR 19, 231-241 (2001).
  • Ilangovan U, Ton-That H, Iwahara J, Schneewind O and Clubb RT, "Structure of sortase, the transpeptidase that anchors proteins to the cell wall of Staphylococcus aureus", Proceedings of the National Academy of Sciences (USA) 98, 6056-6061 (2001).