ABBOTT NORTHWESTERN HOSPITAL CANCER RESEARCH LABORATORY

800 E. 28th St., Minneapolis, MN 55407

Principal Investigator: Lester F. Harris Ph.D. (Email: mg90601@sc.msc.edu)

Co-Principal Investigator: David F. Hickok M.D.

Research Associate: Pamela D. Popken-Harris Ph.D.

Research Assistant: Michael R. Sullivan

Our laboratory is currently working with the Mouse Mammary Tumor Virus, an endogenous oncogenic retrovirus, as a model for breast cancer and retroviral biochemical pathways. We have been investigating site-specific DNA recognition by DNA regulatory proteins, the dynamics of a protein regulated genetic switch and the origin of the genetic code. Our work has led to a hypothesis for a protein/DNA recognition code which has a mechanism of stereochemical complementarity between functional sites on amino acid side chains and their cognate codon/anticodon nucleotides base sites. In addition, our findings support a stereochemical model for the origin of the genetic code.

Publications:

Papers on World Wide Web:

Conservation of genetic information: A code for site-specific DNA recognition. (1993) Proc. Natl. Acad. Sci. USA 90, 5534-5538.

Molecular dynamics simulations in solvent of the glucocorticoid receptor protein in complex with a glucocorticoid response element DNA sequence. The Journal of Biomolecular Structure and Dynamics (October 1994) 12:2, 249-270.

Journal Publications:

Reprints of the following publications are available upon request from: Lester F. Harris Ph.D. Abbott Northwestern Hospital Cancer research Laboratory 800 E. 28th St. Minneapolis, MN 55407

Harris, L., Sullivan, M. and Hickok, D. Conservation of genetic information between regulatory protein DNA binding alpha helices and their cognate operator sites: A simple code for site-specific recognition. (1990) Computers and Mathematics with Applications 20, 1-23.

Harris, L., Sullivan, M. and Hickok, D. Genetic sequences of hormone response elements share similarity with predicted alpha helices within DNA binding domains of steroid receptor proteins: A basis for site-specific recognition. (1990) Computers and Mathematics with Applications 20, 25-48.

Harris, L., Sullivan, M. and Hickok, D. Conservation of genetic information: A code for site-specific DNA recognition. (1993) Proc. Natl. Acad. Sci. USA 90, 5534-5538. Link to hypertext version of this article.

Harris, L., Sullivan, M., Popken-Harris, P. and Hickok, D. Molecular dynamics simulations in solvent of the glucocorticoid receptor protein in complex with a glucocorticoid response element DNA sequence. The Journal of Biomolecular Structure and Dynamics (October 1994) 12:2, 249-270. Link to hypertext version of this article.

University of Minnesota Supercomputer Institute Research Reports:

The following publications are available upon request from: Research Reports Coordinator Minnesota Supercomputer Institute 1200 Washington Ave. So. Minneapolis, MN 55415 Please send report number (i.e. UMSI 89/168) when requesting reprint.

UMSI 89/168 Harris, L., Sullivan, M. and Hickok, D. October 1989 Genetic sequences of hormone response elements share similarity with predicted alpha helices within DNA binding domains of steroid receptor proteins: A basis for site-specific recognition.

UMSI 89/169 Harris, L., Sullivan, M. and Hickok, D. October 1989 Conservation of genetic information between regulatory protein DNA binding alpha helices and their cognate operator sites: A simple code for site-specific recognition.

UMSI 92/229 Harris, L., Sullivan, M. and Hickok, D. November 1992 Conservation of genetic information: A code for site-specific DNA recognition.

UMSI 93/74 Harris, L., Sullivan, M. and Hickok, D. May 1993 The glucocorticoid receptor DNA binding domain interacts with a glucocorticoid response element and flanking nucleotides at sites of conserved genetic information.

UMSI 94/170 Harris, L., Sullivan, M. Popken-Harris, P. and Hickok, D. August 1994 Molecular dynamics simulations in solvent of the glucocorticoid receptor protein in complex with a glucocorticoid response element DNA sequence.

Link to Minnesota Supercomputer Institute Home Page