Head: Mirosława Z. Naskręt-Barciszewska

Research Staff:
Eliza Wyszko, Małgorzata Giel-Pietraszuk

Resarch Support:
Elżbieta Wieczorek

Ph.D. Students:
Joanna Szepeta, Katarzyna Bugała

Undergraduate Students:
Witold Szaflarski, Urszula Skrzypczak, Lidia Sączkowska, Ewa Powalska

Keywords:
ribosomal 5S rRNA, tRNA, ribozymes, leadzyme, DNA damage, brain tumor diagnosis, HIV mRNA TAR, hydroxyl radical, transcription factor IIIA.

Current research activities:

Head: Tomasz Twardowski

Research Support:
Krystyna Ludwiczak

Ph.D. Students:
Maciej Astriab, Beata Dudzińska, Joanna Smól, Joanna Perła

Keywords: regulation of translation - plant system, anti-sense oligonucleotides, natural products, biotechnology legislation, biosafety, public perception.

Research conducted by the Team of Protein Biosynthesis concerns the regulatory mechanisms of protein biosynthesis in the plant system and the structure-function correlation of rRNA. The antisense strategy is one of the most important research tools we used as the experimental approach. A better understanding of the molecular mechanism of protein biosynthesis may appear of significant importance for the future development of agriculture. We pay special attention to the function of proteins responsible for the plant reaction to biotic and abiotic stress, e.g ferritin (protein responsible for iron housekeeping) and lysine decarboxylase (LDC, the key enzyme for alkaloids metabolic pathway). These projects are correlated with the experiments concerning the functioning of elongation factors EF1 and EF2-proteins responsible for the binding of AA-tRNA to ribosomes and elongation of polypeptide chain. A very important subject of our experiments is the role of rRNAs in correlation with their active structures. Using bioinformatic ultraconservative fragments of rRNAs are determined, followed by characterisation of structure-function correlation.
Legislation and public perception of biotechnology are separate aspects of our activity.

Current research activities:

A. Byczyńska and J. Barciszewski
The biosynthesis, structure and properties of napin - the storage protein from rape seeds.
J. Plant Physiol. 154, 417-425 (1999).

A. Szyk, P. Mucha, P. Rekowski, M. Giel-Pietraszuk and J. Barciszewski
Synthesis and circular dichroism studies of HIV-1 Tat arginine rich domain analogues substituted in Arg 52 position.
Polish J. Chem. 73, 879-883 (1999).

P. Mucha, A. Szyk, P. Rekowski, G. Kupryszewski, G. Ślósarek and J. Barciszewski
Conformation of systemin, a polypeptide activator of proteinase inhibitor synthesis in plants.
Collect. Czech. Chem. Commun. 64, 553-558 (1999).

J. Barciszewski, J. Jurczak, S. Porowski, T. Specht and V. A. Erdmann
The decisive role of the water structure in changes of conformation of nucleic acids.
Acta Biochim. Polon. 46, 133-144 (1999).

E. Wyszko, J. P. Fuerste, M. Barciszewska, M. Szymański, R. Adamiak, V. A. Erdmann
and J. Barciszewski
Preparation of HIV TAR RNA with RNA scissors.
J. Biochem. (Tokyo) 126, 326-332 (1999).

J. Barciszewski and B. F. C. Clark
Why RNA?
in: RNA: Biochemistry and Biotechnology, (Eds. J. Barciszewski and B. F. C. Clark), Kluver Academic, 1-9 (1999).

E. Wyszko, M. Szymański, J. P. Fürste, M. Giel-Pietraszuk, M. Z. Barciszewska, P. Mucha,
P. Rekowski, G. Kupryszewski, V. A. Erdmann and J. Barciszewski
Interaction of native RNAs with Tat peptides.
in: RNA: Biochemistry and Biotechnology, (Eds. J. Barciszewski and B. F. C. Clark), Kluver Academic, 277-290 (1999).

J. Barciszewski, S. I. S. Rattan, G. Siboska and B. F. C. Clark
Kinetin - 45 years on.
Plant Sci. 148, 37-45 (1999).

J. Barciszewski, M. Z. Barciszewska, G. Siboska, S. I. S. Rattan and B. F. C. Clark
Some unusual nucleic acid bases are products of hydroxyl radical oxidation of DNA and RNA.
Mol. Biol. Rep. 26, 231-238 (1999).

J. Smól, T. Twardowski
Properties of lupin ferritin and the regulatory mechanism of its biosynthesis.
Biologia 54, 309-313 (1999).

M. Szymański, M. Z. Barciszewska, J. Barciszewski and V. A. Erdmann
5S ribosomal RNA database Y2K.
Nucleic Acids Research 28, 166-167 (2000).

V. A. Erdmann, M. Szymański, A. Hochberg, N. de Groot and J. Barciszewski
Non-coding, mRNA-like RNAs database Y2K.
Nucleic Acids Res. 28, 197-200 (2000).

M. Kamińska, M. Deniziak, P. Kerjan, J. Barciszewski and M. Mirande
A recurrent general RNA binding domain appended to plant methionyl-tRNA synthetase acts as a cis-acting cofactor for aminoacylation.
EMBO J. 19, 6908-6917 (2000).

M. Szymański and J. Barciszewski
Aminoacyl-tRNA synthetases database Y2K.
Nucleic Acids Res. 28, 326-328 (2000).

M. Szymański and J. Barciszewski
Lessons from sequenced genomes. Overlaping genes in Methanococcus jannaschii?
IUBMB Life 49, 121-123 (2000).

A. Krzyżaniak, M. Siatecka, A. Szyk, P. Mucha, P. Rekowski, G. Kupryszewski and J. Barciszewski
Specific induction of Z-DNA conformation by a nuclear localization signal peptide of lupin glutaminyl tRNA synthetase.
Mol. Biol. Rep. 27, 51-54 (2000).

M. Szymański, M. Z. Barciszewska, V. A. Erdmann and J. Barciszewski
An analysis of G-U base pair occurrence in eukaryotic 5S rRNAs.
Mol. Biol. Evol. 17, 1194-1198 (2000).

M. Z. Barciszewska, M. Szymański, V. A. Erdmann and J. Barciszewski
5S ribosomal RNA.
Biomacromolecules 1, 297-302 (2000).

J. Barciszewski, M. Szymański and T. Haertle
Analysis of rape (Brassica napus L.) seeds napins structure and potential roles of theses storage proteins.
J. Protein Chem. 19, 249-254 (2000).

M. Szymański, M. Deniziak and J. Barciszewski
The new aspects of aminoacyl-tRNA synthetases.
Acta Biochim. Polon. 47, 821-834 (2000).

J. Barciszewski, G. Siboska, B. F. C. Clark and S. I. S. Rattan
Cytokinin formation by oxidative metabolism.
J. Plant Physiol. 157, 587-588 (2000).

J. Barciszewski, M. Mielcarek, M. Stobiecki, G. Siboska and B. F. C. Clark
Identification of 6-furfuryladenine (kinetin) in human urine.
Biochem. Biophys. Res. Commun. 279, 69-73 (2000).

J. Barciszewski, G. Siboska, S. I. S. Rattan and B. F. C. Clark
Occurence, biosynthesis and properties of kinetin (N'-furfuryladenine).
Plant Growth Regulation 32, 106-115 (2000).

T. Twardowski
"Biotechnology in Poland in the Context of Central Europe"
"The European Biotechnology Directory", Bio Commerce Business Profiles 2000, 2, 41-47.

T. Twardowski
"Public Perception and Legislation of Biotechnology in Poland".
in: "Use of Agriculturally Important Genes in Biotechnology", ed. G. Hrazdina, IOS Press, NATO Science Series - vol. 319, 180-202 (2000).

B. Madej-Dudzińska, M. Nawrot, T. Twardowski
Structure of alpha-sarcin domain of Lupinus luteus.
J. Plant Physiology 156, 567-569 (2000).

G. Gaskell, N. Allum, M. Bauer, J. Durant, A. Allansdottir, H. Bonfadelli, D. Boy, S. de Cheveigné,
B. Fjaestad, J. M. Gutteling, J. Hampel, E. Jelsoe, J. C. Jesuino, M. Kohring, N. Kronberger, C. Midden,
T. H. Nielsen, A. Przestalski, T. Rusanen, G. Sakellaris, H. Torgersen, T. Twardowski, W. Wagner
Biotechnology and the European public.
Nature Biotechnology 18, 935-938 (2000).

M. Szymański, M. A. Deniziak and J. Barciszewski
Aminoacyl-tRNA synthetases database.
Nucleic Acids Res. 29, 288-290 (2001).

I. Z. Siemion, I. Strug, E. Wyszko and J. Barciszewski
On the peptides related to nucleotide sequences of archeal tRNAs.
Polish J. Chem. 75, 1449-1456 (2001).

M. Z. Barciszewska, G. Rapp, Ch. Betzel, V. A.Erdmann and J. Barciszewski
Structural changes of tRNA and 5S rRNA induced with magnesium and visualized with synchrotron mediated hydroxyl radical cleavage.
Mol. Biol. Rep. 28, 1-8 (2001).

E. Wyszko, M. Z. Barciszewska, R. Bald, V. A. Erdmann and J. Barciszewski
The specific hydrolysis of HIV-1 TAR RNA element with the anti-TAR hammerhead ribozyme: structural and functional implications.
Int. J. Biol. Macromol. 28, 373-380 (2001).

M. Z. Barciszewska, M. Szymański, V. A. Erdmann and J. Barciszewski
Structure and functions of 5S rRNA.
Acta Biochim. Polon. 48, 191-198 (2001).

M. Giel and J. Barciszewski
THE RIBOSOME AND THE SPLICEOSOME ARE THE TRUE RIBOZYMES.
Polish J. Chem. 75, 1807-1816 (2001).

M. A. Deniziak and J. Barciszewski
Methionyl-tRNA synthetase.
Acta Biochim. Polon. 48, 337-350 (2001).

M. Szymański, M. A. Deniziak and J. Barciszewski
Aminoacyl-tRNA synthetases database.
Nucleic Acids Res. 29, 288-290 (2001).

V. A. Erdmann, M. Z. Barciszewska, M. Szymański, A. Hochberg. N. de Groot and J. Barciszewski
The non-coding RNAs as riboregulators.
Nucleic Acids Res. 29, 189-193 (2001).

V. A. Erdmann, M. Z. Barciszewska, A. Hochberg, N. de Groot and J. Barciszewski
Regulatory RNAs.
Cell. Mol. Life Sci. 58, 1-18 (2001).

T. Twardowski
"Public perception of biotechnology in Poland", BioCommerce Data's Biotechnology Company Compendium 2001/2: Europe, Eds. S. Lennon, H. Smith, R. Williams, BioCommerce Data Ltd, 37-39.
B. Dudzińska, M. Astriab, J. Smól, T. Twardowski
Application of antisense oligomers to the interpretation of ribosomal machinery of translation.
Biologia 56, 243-246 (2001).

J. Smól, M. Astriab, B. Dudzińska-Madej, T. Twardowski
Stress conditions applied to the interpretation of translation machinery.
Acta Biologica Hungarica 52, 161-170 (2001).

M. Szymański, M. Z. Barciszewska, V. A. Erdmann and J. Barciszewski
5S Ribosomal RNA Database.
Nucleic Acids Res. 30, 176-178 (2002).

M. Szymański, and J. Barciszewski
Beyond the proteome. Non-coding RNAs.
Genome Biol. in press (2002).

M. Mielcarek, M.Z. Barciszewska, P. Sałański, M. Stobiecki, J. Jurczak, J. Barciszewski
Native transfer RNA catalyses Diels-Alder reaction.
Biochemical And Biophysical Research Communications 294, 145-148 (2002).

A. Pieńkowska, C. Schelling, T. Opioła, M. Rożek, J. Barciszewski
Canine 5S rRNA: nucleotide sequence and chromosomal assignment of its gene cluster in four canid species.
Cytogenetic and Genome Research 97(3-4), 187-190 (2002).

P. Grzesiowski, W. Letowska, S. Porowski, P. Sałanski, J. Jurczak, M. Giel-Pietraszuk, W. Hryniewicz, J. Barciszewski
Inactivation of bacteria at high pressure.
High Pressure Effects In Chemistry, Biology And Materials Science Defect And Diffusion Forum 208-2, 67-72 (2002).

M.A. Deniziak, J. Barciszewski
Swapping of three-dimensional domains as a molecular mechanism of dimerization of aminoacyl-tRNA synthetases. IUBMB Life 54(2), 85-88 (2002).

M. Giel-Pietraszuk, M.Z. Barciszewska
Additivity of interactions of zinc finger motifs in a specific recognition of RNA.
Journal of Biochemistry 131(4), 571-578 (2002).

P. Mucha, A. Szyk, P. Rekowski, J. Barciszewski
Structural requirements for conserved Arg52 residue for interaction of the human immunodeficiency virus type 1 trans-activation responsive element with trans-activator of transcription protein (49-57). Capillary electrophoresis mobility shift assay.
Journal of Chromatography A 968, 211-220 (2002).

K. Kaszyńska, E. Banachowicz, G. Ślósarek, A. Morawiec, I. Gawrońska, J. Barciszewski
Dynamic light scattering and NMR studies of napin.
Journal of Solution Chemistry 31(12) (2002).

J. Kurreck, E. Wyszko, C. Gillen, V.A. Erdmann
Design of antisense oligonucleotides stabilized by locked nucleic acids.
Nucleic Acids Research 30(9), 1911-1918 (2002).

M. Szymański, M.Z. Barciszewska, V.A. Erdmann, J Barciszewski
5S Ribosomal RNA Database.
Nucleic Acids Research 30(1), 176-178 (2002).

M. Giel-Pietraszuk, P. Mucha, P. Rekowski, G. Kupryszewski, M.Z. Barciszewska
Interaction of a transcription factor IIIA peptide containing two zinc fingers with 5S rRNA.
Polish Journal Of Chemistry 76, 815-822 (2002).

M. Szymański, J. Barciszewski
Beyond the proteome: non-coding regulatory RNAs.
Genome Biology 3(5), 0005.1-0005.8 (2002).

H. Torgersen, J. Hampel, M-L. Von Bergmann-Winberg, E. Bridgman, J. Durant, E. Einsiedel, B. Fjastad, G. Gaskell, P. Grabner, P. Hieber, E. Jelsoe, J. Lassen, A. Marouda-Chatjoulis, T. H. Nielsen, T. Rusanen, G. Sakellaris, F. Seifert, C. Smink, T. Twardowski, M.W. Kamara
Promise, problems and proxies: twenty-five years of debate and regulation in Europe, w: The Making of a Global Controversy.
Science Museum, London Cambridge University Press 21-94 (2002).

T. Twardowski
The development of biotechnology in Poland.
Maximizing the Security and Development Benefits from the Biological and Toxin Ewapons Convention.
The Netherlands Kluwer Academic Publishers 273-276 (2002).