Yunje Cho, Ph.D.

Professor
Department of Life Science
Division of Molecular and Life Sciences
Cancer Biology, Structural Biology

Publications Abstract
E-mail yunje@postech.ac.kr
Phone +82-54-279-2288(office)
          +82-54-279-8063(lab.)
Laboratory  Structural Biology of Cancer

Profile |  Research Interests |  Selected Publications

Profile

Research Interests

Structural Cancer biology
Our research group is interested in obtaining structural information of proteins involved in the control of cell growth and proliferation.  Since alterations of the proteins involved these pathway could cause cancer, understanding of the structure  function of these proteins could provide information (i) to understand the molecular basis of tumor formation and inhibition, and (ii) to approach rational method to design novel anti-cancer drugs.  We are currently focused on structural studies on Retinoblastoma tumor suppressor-viral oncoprotein complex, BRCA1 and BRCA2 (Breast Cancer Susceptibility Gene) to elucidate their biochemical and cellular functions. Loss of tumor suppressor function of these proteins cause diverse types of cancers including breast and ovary cancer

Structural Genomics on Cancer initiative
We are also working on the Structural Genomics project in collaboration with several other groups (University of California, Berkeley and KIST).  Our Goal is to identify the molecular and cellular function of several proteins involved in DNA repair, cell cycle regulation and other metabolic pathways based on the structural information. Such information would allow us to design anti-biotics anti-cancer drugs by rational drug design approach.  The newly built synchrotron at POSTECH will play important roles in our structural genomics project.

Selected Publications

1. C. Lee, B.S. Hong, J. M. Choi, Y. Kim, S. Watanabe, Y. Ishimi, T. Enomoto, S. Tada, Y.C. Kim, and Y. Cho  
   "Structural basis for inhibition of the replication licensing factor Cdt1 by geminin"
   Nature Vol.430(2004) pp 913-917 (IF=30.8)
2. J. M. Choi, E. Y. Park, J. H. Kim, S. K. Chang and Y. Cho Probing the functional importance of the hexameric ring structure of RNase PH
   J. Biol. Chem. (2004) 279: 755-764 (IF=7.2)
3. T. Kwon, J.H. Chang, E. Kwak, C. Lee, Andrzej Joachimiak, Y.C. Kim, J.W. Lee, and Y. Cho "Mechanism of  histone lysine methyl transfer revealed by the structure of SET7/9-AdoMet" EMBO J. Vol.22(2003) pp 292-303 (IF=14.0)    
4. C. Lee, J.H. Chang H.S. Lee, and Y. Cho
   "Structural basis for the recognition of the E2F transactivation domain by the retinoblastoma tumor suppressor "
   Genes & Dev. Vol.16(2002) pp 3199-3212 (IF=20.9)
5. J.H. Chang, H.C. Kim, K.Y. Hwang, J.W. Lee, S.P. Jackson, S.D. Bell, and Y. Cho
   "Structural basis for the NAD-dependent Deacetylase Mechanism of Sir2"
   J. Biol. Chem. Vol.277(2002) pp 34489-34498 (IF=7.2)
6. C. Lee, and Y. Cho
   "Interactions of SV40 large Tantigen and other viral proteins with retinoblastoma tumor suppressor"
   Rev Med Virol Vol.12(2002) pp 81-92 (IF=5.6)
7. H.Y. Kim, B.Y. Ahn, and Y. Cho
   "Structural basis for the inactivation of Retinoblastoma tumor suppressor by SV 40 large T antigen"
   EMBO J. Vol.20(2001) pp 295-304 (IF=14.0)
8. Lim JH, Hwang KY, Choi J, Lee DY, Ahn BY, Cho Y, Kim KS, Han YS.
   "Mutational effects on thermostable superoxide dismutase from Aquifex pyrophilus: understanding the molecular basis of protein thermostability"
   Biochem Biophys Res Commun. (2001) Vol 288 263-268.
9. Bae SH, Kim JA, Choi E, Lee KH, Kang HY, Kim HD, Kim JH, Bae KH, Cho Y, Park C, Seo YS. "Tripartite structure of Saccharomyces cerevisiae Dna2 helicase/endonuclease" Nucleic Acids Res. (2001) Vol 29: 3069-3079.
Structure-based Identification of a novel NTPase from Methanococcus Jannaschii K. Y. Hwang, J. H. Jung, S. -H. Kim, Y. S. Han and Y. Cho  Nature Struc. Biol. (1999) 6. 691 - 696
Structure and Mechanism of Glutamate Racemase from Aquifex pyrophilus K. Y. Hwang, C. S. Cho, S. S. Kim, Y. G. Yu and Y. Cho  Nature Struc. Biol.(1999) 6. 422  426
Structural basis of cold adaptation: Sequence, biochmecal properties and crystalstructure of malate dehydrogenase from Aquaspirillum arcticum S. -Y. Kim, K. W. Hwang, S. H. Kim, Y. S. Han and Y. Cho J. Biol. Chem. (1999) 274. 11761  11767
The crystal structure of flap endonuclease-1 from Methanococcus jannaschii  K. Y. Hwang, K. Baek, H. Y. Kim. and Y. Cho Nature Struc. Biol. (1998)  5, 707  713
Structural similarity between the pocket of retinoblastoma tumor suppressor and the cyclin-box, H. Y. Kim and Y. Cho  Nature Struc. Biol.  (1997)  4, 500-505

Division of Molecular & Life Sciences| POSTECH