Group of Marc Delarue
Unit of Structural Dynamics of Macromolecules

Overview: experimental and computational structural molecular biology

The purpose of the group is to use both experimental (mainly X-Ray crystallography) and computational methods (some of them developed by us) in order to:
1. Understand structure-function relationships in proteins involved in DNA metabolism and cancer, especially polX polymerases (Pol1, Pol2, Tdt_xtals, Tdt1, Tdt2). See our latest article describing how a single mutation transforms Tdt into pol mu.
2. Develop new drugs against well identified protein targets from pathogens, e.g. M. tuberculosis, T. brucei. See here for more details.
3. Understand the dynamics of biological processes at the molecular level (structural transitions) using coarse-grained models

N.B. A group headed by Claudine Mayer has recently joined the lab. See here for details.

Crystals of GLIC (2009)

Crystal structure of GLIC (2009)

Structural studies of a bacterial homologue of the nicotinic acetylcholine receptor (GLIC)

New and Noteworthy

	A possible mechanism for the evolution of the genetic code (2007). See comment in Heredity (2008)
	Dipolar solvent electrostatics for macromolecules - Biophys. J. (2008). See also newly accepted articles (2009) in Phys Rev Lett and J Phys Chem B.
	N.B. This work is done with Patrice Koehl (UC Davis) and Henri Orland (CEA)
	Just published (01/01/09): X-ray structure of a bacterial analogue of the acetylcholine receptor, in collaboration with P.-J. Corringer's group
	Communiques de presse: Pasteur et CNRS

Web services

	NOMAD-Ref for Normal Modes applications (including positional refinement)
	PDB_hydro for modelling using Mean-Field and Poisson-Langevin electrostatics
	MinActionPath: a new method to generate the most probable path between two known structural forms.
	N.B. The MinActionPath project is sponsored by Apple's ARTS program (2007).

Presentation

	Members
	Research
	Publications

En cas de problèmes, de remarques, ou de questions concernant cette page Web écrire à delarue@pasteur.fr.