Laboratory of Protein Engineering

Head of the Laboratory: Aleksey V. Yantsevich

Ph.D (chemistry)

phone:+375 (17) 3578273

e-mail: This email address is being protected from spambots. You need JavaScript enabled to view it.

About the Laboratory

Established in 2003.

From 2003 to 2011 the laboratory was headed by Sergey A. Usanov, D.Sc., professor, corresponding member of NASB. 

Personnel: 19 researchers including 2 Dr.Sc. and 4 Ph.D.

Research directions

• Investigations of structure-function correlation in cytochrome P450 superfamily
• Design of enzymes for molecular
• Expression  and  purification of recombinant enzymes
• Development of methods for the qualitative and quantitative analysis of low molecular weight metabolites
• Investigation of protein-protein interactions for components of monooxygenase systems
• Bioinformatics: development of methods for rational drug design
• Proteomics
• Synthetic biology.

Main achievements and developments

1. Methods for biosynthesis of important drug targets among cytochrome P450 superfamily;
2. Structural insights into substrate and inhibitor discrimination by clinically relevant mutants of cytochromes P450;
3. Identification of previously unknown active site ligands that could act as inhibitors for important drug targets among cytochrome P450 superfamily;
4. Novel effective approaches for artificial gene synthesis.

Services

On a contract basis the laboratory offers:

• High resolution  MS-analysis  for common organic molecules and biopolymers
• Identification of proteins and analysis of protein composition in complex biological samples
• Molecule and particle size analysis by DLS/SLS
• Oligonucleotide and artificial gene synthesis.

Selected publications

1. Shchur, V.V., Burankova, Y.P., Shapira.M.A. et al. Programmed assembly of long DNA synthons: design, mechanism and on-line monitoring. Appl Microbiol Biotechnol (2019). doi: 10.1007/s00253-019-10099-4.
2. Yantsevich, A.V., Shchur, V.V., Usanov S.A. Oligonucleotide preparation approach for assembly of DNA synthons. SLAS Technol (2019). doi: 10.1177/2472630319850534.
3. Yantsevich, A.V., Dzichenka, Ya.V., Ivanchik, A.V. et al. Proteomic analysis of contaminants in recombinant membrane hemeproteins expressed in E. coli and isolated by metal affinity chromatography. Appl Biochem Microbiol (2017). doi: 10.1134/S000368381702017X.
4. Dichenko Ya.V., Yantsevich, A.V., Usanov S.A. Structural and Functional Characteristics of Oxysterol 7α-Hydroxylase with Amino-Acid Substitution R486C and Their Relation to the Appearance of Neurodegenerative Diseases. J Appl Spectrosc (2015). doi: 10.1007/s 10812-015-0069-0.
5. Yantsevich A.V., Dichenko Y.V, Usanov S.A. et al. Human steroid and oxysterol 7α-hydroxylase CYP7B1: substrate specificity, azole binding and misfolding of clinically relevant mutants. // FEBS J. (2014). doi: 10.1111/febs. 12733.
6. Dmitrochenko, A.E., Usanov, S.A., Yantsevich, A.V. et al. An effective scheme to produce recombinant uracil-DNA glycosylase of Escherichia coli for PCR diagnostics. Appl Biochem Microbiol (2014). doi: 10.1134/ S0003683814030041.