Viral and Microbial Proteins | Iva Pichová Group

About our group

The research of our laboratory focuses mainly on functional and structural studies of key proteins from Hepatitis B virus and Mycobacteria spp and their interactions with cellular proteins. We also study proteins from pathogenic yeasts and cooperate with chemical ecologists on insect pheromone biosynthetic enzymes.

Research projects involve protein engineering, protein purification, protein characterization, enzymology, NMR and X-ray protein structure solution, isolation and analysis of complexes of cellular and pathogenic proteins, various molecular biological methods, and electron microscopy analysis. Our close cooperation with organic chemists facilitates multidisciplinary research focused on identification and characterization of enzymes involved in drug metabolism and testing of potential inhibitors.

The group is a member of the Gilead Sciences & IOCB Research Centre, NPU 1 and OPVVV projects.

News

Show all

2 December 2019

New Ph.D. students

28 November 2019

Dája placed third in high school student competition

Phosphofructokinases A and B from <i>Mycobacterium tuberculosis</i> Display Different Catalytic Properties and Allosteric Regulation

Phosphofructokinases A and B from Mycobacterium tuberculosis Display Different Catalytic Properties and Allosteric Regulation

J. Snášel I. Machová V. Šolínová V. Kašička M. Krečmerová I. Pichová

International Journal of Molecular Sciences 22 (3): 1483 (2021)

Tuberculosis (TB) remains one of the major health concerns worldwide. Mycobacterium tuberculosis (Mtb), the causative agent of TB, can flexibly change its metabolic processes during different life stages. Regulation of key metabolic enzyme activities by intracellular conditions, allosteric inhibition or feedback control can effectively contribute to Mtb survival under different conditions. Phosphofructokinase (Pfk) is one of the key enzymes regulating glycolysis. Mtb encodes two Pfk isoenzymes, Pfk A/Rv3010c and Pfk B/Rv2029c, which are differently expressed upon transition to the hypoxia-induced non-replicating state of the bacteria. While pfkB gene and protein expression are upregulated under hypoxic conditions, Pfk A levels decrease. Here, we present biochemical characterization of both Pfk isoenzymes, revealing that Pfk A and Pfk B display different kinetic properties. Although the glycolytic activity of Pfk A is higher than that of Pfk B, it is markedly inhibited by an excess of…

Go to the publication

Desaturase specificity is controlled by the physicochemical properties of a single amino acid residue in the substrate binding tunnel

A. Buček M. Vazdar M. Tupec A. Svatoš I. Pichová

Computational and Structural Biotechnology Journal 18: 1202-1209 (2020)

Go to the publication

Hypoxanthine-Guanine Phosphoribosyltransferase Is Dispensable for Mycobacterium smegmatis Viability

Z. Knejzlík K. Herkommerová D. Hocková I. Pichová

Journal of Bacteriology 202 (5): e00710-19 (2020)

Go to the publication

Hepatitis B Core Protein Is Post-Translationally Modified through K29-Linked Ubiquitination