Kyung (Kay) H. Choi, PhD
Professor, Department of Biochemistry & Molecular Biology
Tel: (409) 747-1402
Fax: (409) 772-1404
E-mail: kychoi@utmb.edu
Campus Location: 6.614C Basic Science Bldg
Mail Route: 0647
Lab Web Page
Research
Our research focuses on the structure and mechanism of viral
replication and infection machinery using X-ray crystallography and
cryo-electron microscopy. High-resolution X-ray crystal structures of
individual component proteins can be fitted into lower resolution
cryo-EM density maps to generate pseudo-atomic structure of large
macromolecular complexes.
Virtually all RNA viruses carry out viral genome replication using a
large replication complex composed of RNA, viral replicases, and
cellular proteins. However, specific protein-protein and protein-RNA
interactions are poorly understood. We are interested in the structure
of individual replication enzymes and their protein-protein, and
protein-RNA complexes in human and animal viruses. These viruses include
hepatitis C virus, bovine viral diarrhea virus (BVDV), dengue virus,
human coronavirus (SARS), and hantan virus. Our structural studies will
help develop antiviral therapeutics for animal and human diseases caused
by these RNA viruses.
Tailed bacteriophages have to deliver their genetic information
into the host cell's cytoplasm across cell membranes. The tail
machinery, composed of multiple protein components, attaches to the cell
membrane and transports genomic DNA into the cell. We use bacteriophage
N4 as a model system to study the mechanism of genome and protein
transport from the virus into the host cell. N4 packages dsDNA as well
as one or two copies of a 3,500-amino acid RNA polymerase (vRNAP) inside
the capsid, which is then ejected into host cell upon infection. In
collaboration with Dr. Lucia Rothman-Denes laboratory (University of Chicago), we are determining the structure of N4 virions as well as tail component proteins.
Publications