Agris Lab


AGRIS LABORATORY RESEARCHERS
MUFEED M. BASTI Associate Professor Visiting from: North Carolina Agricultural and Technical State University Dr. Basti’s research interest includes the use of spectroscopy such as UV, fluorescence, mass spectrometry and NMR in the study of structure/function of biomolecules and molecules with pharmaceutical applications, and the effect of modified nucleosides on metal binding. In Dr. Paul F. Agris’ lab, Dr. Basti plans to study the effect of magnesium ion binding to the synthesized tRNA molecules whose sequence matches the amino acid accepting stem of mitochondrial tRNA (mtRNA) by the use of UV, circular dichroism, mass spectrometry and NMR. The aim of the research is to assess whether the Mg+2 binding to the amino acid accepting stem would have the same observed effect on the truncated D domain of mtRNA. AWARDS AND HONORS In the top eight per cent of the graduating class in the College of Engineering, Al-baath University, Homs, Syria 1978. Was awarded a certificate of appreciation for the contribution in the PENS program at North Carolina A&T State University NSF supplement grant in collaboration with Professor Paul Agris at North Carolina State University, summer of 1998, $20,510 NSF supplement grant in collaboration with Professor Paul Agris at North Carolina State University, summer of 1999, $20,083 Minority Access to Research Career (MARC) program through Bennett College 1999-2000, $1,200 National Institute of Drug Abuse (NIDA) training grant in collaboration with Professor Makriyannis at University of Connecticut 2000, $75,000 National Institute of Drug Abuse (NIDA) training grant in collaboration with Professor Makriyannis at University of Connecticut 2001, $75,000 Minority Access to Research Career (MARC) program through Bennett College 2000-2001, $1,200 Minority Biomedical Research Support (MBRS), 2001-2005, $347,000 Teacher of the year award, chemistry department, NC A&T State University, academic year 2006-2007 PUBLICATIONS Basti, M. M.; LaPlanche, L. A., and G. Vanderkooi; “Molecular Conforamtion of Dibucaine in Solution as Determined by Lanthanid e-induced Shift Reagents and Conformational Energy Calculations” Magn. Reson. Chem. 25 941 (1987). Basti, M. M.; LaPlanche, L. A. “1H and 13C and 31P NMR Studies of Dioctanoylphosphatidylcholines and Dioctanoylthiophosphatidylcholines” Chem. Phys. Lipids, 54 99 (1990). Otvos, J. D., X liu, H. Li, G. Shen, and M. Basti; “Dynamic Aspects of Metallothionein Structure”, Metallothionein III, Biological Roles and Medical Implications, 57 (1993). Delnomdedieu, M.; M. M. Basti; J. D. Otvos; and D. J. Thomas; "Transfer of Arsenite from Glutathione to Dithiols, A Model of Interaction"; Chem. Res. Toxicol., 6 no. 5 598 (1993). Delnomdedieu, M.; M. M. Basti; J. D. Otvos; and D. J. Thomas; "Reduction and Binding of Arsenate and Dimethylarsinate by Glutathione: A Magnetic Resonance Study". Chem. Biol. Interact., 90 no. 2 139 (1994). Delnomdedieu, M.; M. M. Basti; M. M. Styblo; J. D. Otvos; and D. J. Thomas; “Complexation of Arsenic and Dimethylarsinate by Glutathione: A magnetic Resonance Study”. Chem. Biol. Interact,. 90 no. 2 139 (1994). Delnomdedieu, M.; M. M. Basti; J. D. Otvos; and D. J. Thomas; “Complexation of Arsenic Species in Rabbit Erothrocyte”; Chem. Res. Texicol, 7 no. 5, 621, (1994). Basti, M. M.; J. W. Stuart; Anh Lam, R. Guenther; and P. F. Agris; "Three dimensional Structure of the Biologically Active DNA analogue of the Yeast tRNAPheAC as Derived from High Resolution NMR"; Nature Structural Biology, 3, 38, (1996). Stuart, J. W.; M. M. Basti; H. Sierzputowska-Gracz; R. Guenther; and P. F. Agris; "Solution Structure of a Mg+2-bound RNA trinucleotide D-acp3 U-A as Determined by NMR and Molecular Dynamics"; Nucleosides and Nulcleotides, 15 no.5, 1009 (1996). Agris, P. F.; V. Dao; M. M. Basti ; and R. Guenther "Ribosome-independent Anticodon to Codon Binding Assessed by Circular Dichroism: Roles of Base Modifications, Mg+2 and 2’OH”; Biospectroscopy 2 205(1996). Agris P. F., M. M. Basti, J. W. Stuart, and R. Guenther “NMR and Paramagnetic Ion Substitution Locates a Modified-Nucleoside Dependent Metal Binding Site in DNA: Molecular Dynamics, Surface Charge and H2O Ordering”; Magn. Reson. Chem. 34 87(1996). Wu, Y; M. M. Basti; A. Gambacurta; E. Chiancone; F. Ascoli; and G. N. Lamar “Proton-NMR Investigation of the Heme Activity in the Cynaomet Derivative of the Cooperative Homodimeric Hemoglobin from Scapharca Inaequivalvis”, Biochem. Biophys. Acta. 1298 261(1996). Yarain C. S., M. M. Basti, R. J. Cain, G. Ansari, R. H. Guenther, E. Sochacka, G. Cserwinska, A. Malkeiwicz, and P. F. Agris “Structural and Functional Roles of N1 and N3-protons of at tRNA’s position 39”. Nuc. Acids Res. 27, No. 17 3543-3549(1999). Basti, M. M, Khalaf, M, Cech N. “Mercury Binding to 4- and 2-thiolated Uraciles as Monitored by UV/VIS and Mass Spectrometry” manuscript in preparation to be sent to Metals in Biology. Basti, M M, Alma Magick, Chinnasamy R. Ramanathan, Alex Makryannis; “The Three-dimensional Structure of GBR12909 in Chloroform as Determined by NMR and Molecular Modeling, manuscript in preparation to be sent to J. Medicinal Chem

AGRIS LABORATORY RESEARCHERS

MUFEED M. BASTI

Associate Professor Visiting from:
North Carolina Agricultural and Technical State University

Dr. Basti’s research interest includes the use of spectroscopy such as UV, fluorescence, mass spectrometry and NMR in the study of structure/function of biomolecules and molecules with pharmaceutical applications, and the effect of modified nucleosides on metal binding. In Dr. Paul F. Agris’ lab, Dr. Basti plans to study the effect of magnesium ion binding to the synthesized tRNA molecules whose sequence matches the amino acid accepting stem of mitochondrial tRNA (mtRNA) by the use of UV, circular dichroism, mass spectrometry and NMR. The aim of the research is to assess whether the Mg+2 binding to the amino acid accepting stem would have the same observed effect on the truncated D domain of mtRNA.

AWARDS AND HONORS

In the top eight per cent of the graduating class in the College of Engineering, Al-baath University, Homs, Syria 1978.

Was awarded a certificate of appreciation for the contribution in the PENS program at North Carolina A&T State University

NSF supplement grant in collaboration with Professor Paul Agris at North Carolina State University, summer of 1998, $20,510

NSF supplement grant in collaboration with Professor Paul Agris at North Carolina State University, summer of 1999, $20,083

Minority Access to Research Career (MARC) program through Bennett College 1999-2000, $1,200

National Institute of Drug Abuse (NIDA) training grant in collaboration with Professor Makriyannis at University of Connecticut 2000, $75,000

National Institute of Drug Abuse (NIDA) training grant in collaboration with Professor Makriyannis at University of Connecticut 2001, $75,000

Minority Access to Research Career (MARC) program through Bennett College 2000-2001, $1,200

Minority Biomedical Research Support (MBRS), 2001-2005, $347,000

Teacher of the year award, chemistry department, NC A&T State University, academic year 2006-2007

PUBLICATIONS

Basti, M. M.; LaPlanche, L. A., and G. Vanderkooi; “Molecular Conforamtion of Dibucaine in Solution as Determined by Lanthanid e-induced Shift Reagents and Conformational Energy Calculations” Magn. Reson. Chem. 25 941 (1987).
Basti, M. M.; LaPlanche, L. A. “1H and 13C and 31P NMR Studies of Dioctanoylphosphatidylcholines and Dioctanoylthiophosphatidylcholines” Chem. Phys. Lipids, 54 99 (1990).
Otvos, J. D., X liu, H. Li, G. Shen, and M. Basti; “Dynamic Aspects of Metallothionein Structure”, Metallothionein III, Biological Roles and Medical Implications, 57 (1993).
Delnomdedieu, M.; M. M. Basti; J. D. Otvos; and D. J. Thomas; "Transfer of Arsenite from Glutathione to Dithiols, A Model of Interaction"; Chem. Res. Toxicol., 6 no. 5 598 (1993).
Delnomdedieu, M.; M. M. Basti; J. D. Otvos; and D. J. Thomas; "Reduction and Binding of Arsenate and Dimethylarsinate by Glutathione: A Magnetic Resonance Study". Chem. Biol. Interact., 90 no. 2 139 (1994).
Delnomdedieu, M.; M. M. Basti; M. M. Styblo; J. D. Otvos; and D. J. Thomas; “Complexation of Arsenic and Dimethylarsinate by Glutathione: A magnetic Resonance Study”. Chem. Biol. Interact,. 90 no. 2 139 (1994).
Delnomdedieu, M.; M. M. Basti; J. D. Otvos; and D. J. Thomas; “Complexation of Arsenic Species in Rabbit Erothrocyte”; Chem. Res. Texicol, 7 no. 5, 621, (1994).
Basti, M. M.; J. W. Stuart; Anh Lam, R. Guenther; and P. F. Agris; "Three dimensional Structure of the Biologically Active DNA analogue of the Yeast tRNAPheAC as Derived from High Resolution NMR"; Nature Structural Biology, 3, 38, (1996).
Stuart, J. W.; M. M. Basti; H. Sierzputowska-Gracz; R. Guenther; and P. F. Agris; "Solution Structure of a Mg+2-bound RNA trinucleotide D-acp3 U-A as Determined by NMR and Molecular Dynamics"; Nucleosides and Nulcleotides, 15 no.5, 1009 (1996).
Agris, P. F.; V. Dao; M. M. Basti ; and R. Guenther "Ribosome-independent Anticodon to Codon Binding Assessed by Circular Dichroism: Roles of Base Modifications, Mg+2 and 2’OH”; Biospectroscopy 2 205(1996).
Agris P. F., M. M. Basti, J. W. Stuart, and R. Guenther “NMR and Paramagnetic Ion Substitution Locates a Modified-Nucleoside Dependent Metal Binding Site in DNA: Molecular Dynamics, Surface Charge and H2O Ordering”; Magn. Reson. Chem. 34 87(1996).
Wu, Y; M. M. Basti; A. Gambacurta; E. Chiancone; F. Ascoli; and G. N. Lamar “Proton-NMR Investigation of the Heme Activity in the Cynaomet Derivative of the Cooperative Homodimeric Hemoglobin from Scapharca Inaequivalvis”, Biochem. Biophys. Acta. 1298 261(1996).
Yarain C. S., M. M. Basti, R. J. Cain, G. Ansari, R. H. Guenther, E. Sochacka, G. Cserwinska, A. Malkeiwicz, and P. F. Agris “Structural and Functional Roles of N1 and N3-protons of at tRNA’s position 39”. Nuc. Acids Res. 27, No. 17 3543-3549(1999).
Basti, M. M, Khalaf, M, Cech N. “Mercury Binding to 4- and 2-thiolated Uraciles as Monitored by UV/VIS and Mass Spectrometry” manuscript in preparation to be sent to Metals in Biology.
Basti, M M, Alma Magick, Chinnasamy R. Ramanathan, Alex Makryannis; “The Three-dimensional Structure of GBR12909 in Chloroform as Determined by NMR and Molecular Modeling, manuscript in preparation to be sent to J. Medicinal Chem