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Lance C. Seefeldt
Professor of Chemistry and Biochemistry; BS in Chemistry, University of Redlands, California; PhD in Biochemistry, University of California, Riverside; Postdoctoral Fellow, Center for Metalloenzyme Studies, University of Georgia.
seefeldt


Contact Information




Funding




Publications



Team


Research Description

Biochemistry of Nitrogen Fixation and Bioenergy Production

The Seefeldt research program focuses on elucidating the mechanism of complex metalloenzymes involved in biological nitrogen fixation and global energy cycling.  Nitrogenase is the enzyme responsible for biological reduction of dinitrogen from air into ammonia, catalyzing a critical reaction in the reductive phase of the global nitrogen cycle.  Research is focused on answering the major open questions about nitrogenase mechanism including: 1) How is ATP hydrolysis coupled to substrate reduction; 2) How are electrons delivered to the active site metal clusters; and 3) where and how do substrates get reduced at the active site metal cluster FeMo-cofactor?  The research approach utilizes genetics, biochemistry, spectroscopy including EPR and ENDOR, and X-ray crystallography.

cellsA second research program is focused on exploring the use of phototrophic microbes as a way to capture light and carbon dioxide to make feedstock for liquid transportation fuels.  Projects include isolation of robust microalgae from the Great Salt Lake that can grow in salt water and that make high quantities of precursors for fuels. Additionally, a suite of novel bacterial enzymes are being studied that can be used to produce biodiesel in cells.

Recent News

Sept. 2010
Dr. Yang paper to appear in Angewandte Chemie


Sept. 2010
Danyal paper appears as a Communication in J. Am. Chem. Soc.


Nov. 2010
Wahlen and Willis paper accepted in Bioresource Technology


Contact Information

Department of Chemistry and Biochemistry
0300 Old Main Hill
Utah State University
Logan, UT 84322
Phone: 435-797-3964
Fax: 435-797-3390
email: lance.seefeldt@usu.edu
web: www.chem.usu.edu

Current Funding

2009-2011       Uintah Basin Mitigation Project.  “Carbon dioxide capture and water remediation”.  (PI. Seefeldt).  

2009-2011       Department of Energy.  “Multifunctional Solar Energy Systems” (PI. Jeff Muhs, CoPIs Wood, Seefeldt, Sims).  

2009-2012       National Science Foundation.  “Bacterial Enzyme Systems for Wax Ester Production”.  (PI. Brett Barney, Univ. of Minnesota, CoPI Seefeldt).  

2009-2013       National Institutes of Health.  “Nitrogenase Mechanism” (PI. Seefeldt, Co-PI Dean).

2009-2012       Department of Energy.  "Extremophilic Microalgae: Advanced Lipid and Biomass Production for Biofuels and Bioproducts"  (PI.  Brent Payton Montana State University; Co-PI Seefeldt, Barney, Viamajala).

Publications

1. Arp, D. J., McCollum. L. C., and Seefeldt, L. C. 1985. Molecular and immunological comparison of membrane-bound, H2-oxidizing hydrogenases of Bradyrhizobium japonicum, Alcaligenes eutrophus, Alcaligenes latus, and Azotobacter vinelandii. J. Bacteriol. 163, 15-20.

2. Seefeldt, L. C. and Arp, D. J. 1986. Purification to homogeneity of Azotobacter vinelandii hydrogenase: a nickel and iron containing dimer. Biochimie 68, 25-34.

3. Seefeldt, L. C., Fox, C. A., and Arp, D. J. 1986. Reversible inactivation of the O2-labile hydrogenases from Azotobacter vinelandii and Rhizobium japonicum. J. Biol. Chem. 261, 10688-10694.

4. Seefeldt, L. C., McCollum, L. C., Doyle, C. M., and Arp, D. J. 1987. Immunological and molecular evidence for a membrane-bound, dimeric hydrogenase in Rhodopseudomonas capsulata. Biochim. Biophys. Acta 914, 299-303.

5. Seefeldt, L. C. and Arp, D. J. 1987. Redox-dependent subunit dissociation of Azotobacter vinelandii hydrogenase in the presence of sodium dodecyl sulfate. J. Biol. Chem. 262, 16816-16821.

6. Hyman, M. R., Seefeldt, L. C., and Arp, D. J. 1988. Aerobic, inactive forms of Azotobacter vinelandii hydrogenase: activation kinetics and insensitivity to C2H2 inhibition. Biochim. Biophys. Acta 957, 91-96.

7. Kovacs, K. L., Seefeldt, L. C., Tigyi, G., Doyle, C. M., Mortenson, L. E., and Arp, D. J. 1989. Immunological relationship among hydrogenases. J. Bacteriol. 171, 430-435.

8. Seefeldt, L. C. and Arp, D. J. 1989. Oxygen effects on the nickel- and iron-containing hydrogenase from Azotobacter vinelandii.  Biochemistry 28, 1588-1596.

9. Seefeldt, L. C. and Arp, D. J. 1989. Cyanide inactivation of hydrogenase from Azotobacter vinelandii. J. Bacteriol. 171, 3298-3303.

10. Ford, C. M., Garg, N., Garg, R. P., Tibelius, K. H., Yates, M. G., Arp, D. J., and Seefeldt, L. C. 1990. The identification, characterization, sequencing and mutagenesis of the genes (hupSL) encoding the small and large subunits of the H2-uptake hydrogenase of Azotobacter chroococcum. Molecular Microbiol. 4, 999-1008.

11. Hyman, M. R., Seefeldt, L. C., Morgan, T. V., Arp, D. J., and Mortenson, L. E. 1992. A kinetic and spectroscopic analysis of the inactivating effects of nitric oxide on the individual components of Azotobacter vinelandii nitrogenase. Biochemistry  31, 2947-2955.

12. Seefeldt, L. C.,  Morgan, T. V., Dean, D. R., and Mortenson, L. E. 1992. Mapping the site(s) of MgATP and MgADP interaction with the nitrogenase of Azotobacter vinelandii: Lysine 15 of the Fe protein plays a major role in MgATP interaction. J. Biol. Chem. 267, 6680-6688.

13. Seefeldt, L.C. and Mortenson, L.E. 1993. Increasing nitrogenase catalytic efficiency for MgATP by site-directed mutagenesis of its Fe protein: Use of Mn++ to show interaction of serine 16 with Mg++. Protein Science 2, 93-102.

14. Seefeldt, L.C. and Ensign, S.A. 1994. A continuous, spectrophotometric activity assay for nitrogenase using the reductant titanium (III) citrate.  Anal. Biochemistry 221, 379-386.

15. Seefeldt, L.C. 1994. Docking of nitrogenase iron- and molybdenum-iron proteins for electron transfer and MgATP hydrolysis: The role of arginine 140 and lysine 143 of the Azotobacter vinelandii iron protein.  Protein Science 3, 2073-2081.

16. Seefeldt, L.C., Rasche, M.E., and Ensign, S.A. 1995. Carbonyl sulfide and carbon dioxide as new substrates and carbon disulfide as a new inhibitor of nitrogenase.  Biochemistry 34, 5382-5389.

17. Ryle, M.J., Lanzilotta, W.N., Mortenson, L.E., Watt, G.D., and Seefeldt, L.C. 1995. Evidence for a central role of lysine 15 of Azotobacter vinelandii nitrogenase iron protein in nucleotide binding and protein conformational changes. J. Biol. Chem. 270, 13112-13117.

18. Lanzilotta, W.N., Ryle, M.J., and Seefeldt, L.C. 1995. Nucleotide hydrolysis and protein conformational changes in the Azotobacter vinelandii nitrogenase iron protein: Defining the function of aspartate 129.  Biochemistry  34, 10713-10723.

19. Chen, J.C., Mortenson, L.E, and Seefeldt, L.C. 1995. Analysis of a gene region required for dihydrogen oxidation in Azotobacter vinelandii.  Curr. Microbiol. 30, 351-355.

20. Lanzilotta, W.N., Holz, R.C., and Seefeldt, L.C. 1995. Proton NMR investigation of the [4Fe-4S]1+ cluster environment of nitrogenase iron protein from Azotobacter vinelandii:  Defining nucleotide induced conformational changes.  Biochemistry 34, 15646-15653.

21. Ryle, M.J., Lanzilotta, W.N., Seefeldt, L.C., Scarrow, R.C., and Jensen, G.M. 1996. Circular dichroism and X-ray spectroscopies of Azotobacter vinelandii nitrogenase iron protein:  MgATP and MgADP induced protein conformational changes affecting the [4Fe-4S] cluster and characterization of a [2Fe-2S] form. J. Biol. Chem. 271, 1551-1557.

22. Ryle, M.J. and Seefeldt, L.C. 1996. Elucidation of a MgATP signal transduction pathway in the nitrogenase iron protein:  Formation of a conformation resembling the MgATP-bound state by protein engineering.  Biochemistry 35, 4766-4775.

23. Lanzilotta, W.N., Fisher, K., and Seefeldt, L.C. 1996. Evidence for electron transfer from the nitrogenase iron protein to the molybdenum-iron protein without MgATP hydrolysis:  Characterization of a tight protein-protein complex.  Biochemistry 35, 7188-7196.

24. Ryle, M.J., Lanzilotta, W.N., and Seefeldt, L.C.  1996. Elucidating the mechanism of nucleotide-dependent changes in the redox potential of the [4Fe-4S] cluster in nitrogenase iron protein: The role of phenylalanine 135.  Biochemistry  35, 9424-9434.

25. Ryle, M.J. and Seefeldt, L.C.  1996.  The [4Fe-4S] cluster domain of the nitrogenase iron protein facilitates conformational changes required for the cooperative binding of two nucleotides. Biochemistry  35, 15654-15662.

26. Lanzilotta, W.N. and Seefeldt, L.C.  1996.  Electron transfer from the nitrogenase iron protein to the [8Fe-(7/8)] clusters of the molybdenum-iron protein.  Biochemistry  35, 16770-16776.

27. Lanzilotta, W.N., Fisher, K., and Seefeldt, L.C.  1997. Evidence for electron transfer-dependent formation of a nitrogenase iron protein-molybdenum-iron protein tight complex:  The role of aspartate 39.  J. Biol. Chem. 272, 4157-4165.

28. Seefeldt, L.C. and Dean, D.R.  1997. Role of nucleotides in nitrogenase catalysis.  Acc. Chem. Res. 30, 260-266.

29. Parker, V.D. and Seefeldt, L.C. 1997.  A mediated thin-layer voltammetry method for the study of redox protein electrochemistry.  Anal. Biochem. 247, 152-157.

30. Rasche, M.E. and Seefeldt, L.C.  1997. Reduction of thiocyanate, cyanate, and carbon disulfide by nitrogenase: Kinetic characterization and EPR spectroscopic analysis.  Biochemistry  36, 8574-8585.

31. Parker, V.D., Roddick, A., Seefeldt, L.C., Wang, H., and Zheng, G. 1997. Determination of rate and equilibrium constants for the reactions between electron transfer mediators and proteins by linear sweep voltammetry.  Anal. Biochem. 249, 212-218.

32.  Lanzilotta, W.N. and Seefeldt, L.C. 1997.  Changes in the midpoint potentials of the nitrogenase metal centers as a result of iron protein-molybdenum-iron protein complex formation.  Biochemistry  36, 12976-12983.

33. Liu, Y., Seefeldt, L.C., and Parker, V.D. 1997.  Entropies of redox reactions between proteins and mediators:  the temperature dependence of reversible electrode potentials in aqueous buffers.  Anal. Biochem. 250, 196-202.

34. Lanzilotta, W.N., Parker, V.D., and Seefeldt, L.C.  1998.  Electron transfer in nitrogenase analyzed by Marcus theory:  Evidence for gating by MgATP.  Biochemistry  37, 399-407.

35. Lanzilotta, W.N., Christiansen, J., Dean, D.R., and Seefeldt, L.C. 1998.  Evidence for coupled electron and proton transfer in the [8Fe-7S] cluster of nitrogenase.  Biochemistry  37, 11376-11384.

36. Christiansen, J., Goodwin, P.J., Lanzilotta, W.N., Seefeldt, L.C., and Dean, D.R.  1998.  Catalytic and biophysical properties of a nitrogenase apo-MoFe protein produced by a nifB-deletion mutant of Azotobacter vinelandii.   Biochemistry  37, 12611-12623.

37. Peters, J.W., Lanzilotta, W.N., Lemon, B.J., and Seefeldt, L.C. 1998.  The x-ray crystal structure of the Fe-only hydrogenase (CpI) from Clostridium pasteurianum  Science  282, 1853-1858. to 1.8 angstrom resolution.

38. Lanzilotta, W.N., Parker, V.D., and Seefeldt, L.C. 1999.  Thermodynamics of nucleotide interactions with the Azotobacter vinelandii nitrogenase iron protein.  Biochim. Biophys. Acta  1429, 411-421.

39. Chan, J.M., Christiansen, J., Dean, D.R., and Seefeldt, L.C. 1999. Spectroscopic evidence for changes in the redox state of the nitrogenase P-cluster during turnover.  Biochemistry 38, 5779-5785.

40. Chan, J.M., Ryle, M.J., and Seefeldt, L.C.  1999.  Evidence that MgATP accelerates primary electron transfer in a Clostridium pasteurianum Fe protein-Azotobacter vinelandii MoFe protein nitrogenase tight complex.  J. Biol. Chem. 274, 17593-17598.

41. Jang, S.B., Seefeldt, L.C., and Peters, J.W.  2000.  Modulating the midpoint potential of the [4Fe-4S] cluster of the nitrogenase Fe protein.  Biochemistry 39, 641-648.

42. Christiansen, J., Chan, J.M., Seefeldt, L.C., and Dean, D.R. 2000.  The role of the MoFe protein a-125Phe and b-125Phe residues in Azotobacter vinelandii  J. Inorg. Biochem. 80, 195-204. MoFe protein-Fe protein interactions.

43. Christiansen, J., Cash, V.L., Seefeldt, L.C., Dean, D.R.  2000.  Isolationi and characterization of an acetylene resistant nitrogenase.  J. Biol. Chem. 275, 11459-11464.

44. Ryle, M.J., Lee, H.I., Seefeldt, L.C., and Hoffman, B.M. 2000.  Nitrogenase reduction of carbon disulfide:  freeze quench EPR and ENDOR evidence for three sequential intermediates with cluster-bound carbon moieties.  Biochemistry 39, 1114-1119.

45. Ryle, M.J., and Seefeldt, L.C. 2000. Hydrolysis of nucleoside triphosphates other than ATP by nitrogenase.  J. Biol. Chem. 275, 6214-6219.

46. Chan, J.M., Wu, W., Dean, D.R., and Seefeldt, L.C. 2000.  Construction and characterization of a heterodimeric Fe protein: Defining roles for ATP in nitrogenase catalysis.  Biochemistry 39, 7221-7228.

47. Christiansen, J. Seefeldt, L.C., and Dean, D.R.  2000.  Competitive substrate and inhibitor interactions at the physiologically relevant active site of nitrogenase.  J. Biol. Chem. 275, 36104-36107.

48. Jang, S.B., Seefeldt, L.C., and Peters, J.W. 2000. Insights into nucleotide signal transduction in nitrogenase: structure of an iron protein with MgADP bound.  Biochemistry 39, 14745-14752.

49.    Sorlie, M., Seefeldt, L.C., and Parker, V.D. 2000.  Use of stopped-flow spectrophotometry to establish midpoint potentials for redox proteins.  Anal. Biochem.287, 118-125.

50.    Chiu, H.J., Peters, J.W., Lanzilotta, W.N., Ryle, M.J., Seefeldt, L.C., Howard, J.B., and Rees, D.C.  2001.  MgATP –bound and nucleotide free structures of a nitrogenase protein complex between Leu 127∆-Fe protein and the MoFe protein.  Biochemistry 40, 641-650.

51.  Benton, P.M.C., Christiansen, J., Dean, D.R., and Seefeldt, L.C. 2001. Stereospecificity of acetylene reduction catalyzed by nitrogenase.  J. Amer. Chem. Soc.123, 1822-1827.

52.  Benton, P.M.C., Mayer, S.M., Shao, J., Hoffman, B.M., Dean, D.R. and Seefeldt, L.C.  2001.  Interaction of acetylene and cyanide with the resting state of nitrogenase a-96-substituted MoFe proteins.  Biochemistry 40,13816-13825.

53. Sorlie, M., Chan, J.M., Wang, H., Seefeldt, L.C., and Parker, V.D. 2003. Elucidating thermodynamic parameters for electron transfer proteins using isothermal titration calorimetry:  application to the nitrogenase Fe protein.  J.  Biol. Inorg. Chem. 8, 560-566.

54. Lee, H.I., Benton, P.M.C., Laryukhin, M., Igarashi, R.Y., Dean, D.R., Seefeldt, L.C., and Hoffman, B.M.  2003.  The interstitial atom of the nitrogenase FeMo-cofactor:  ENDOR and ESEEM show it is not an exchangeable nitrogen.  J. Am. Chem. Soc. 125, 5604-5605.

55.  Benton, P.M.C., Laryukhin, M., Mayer, S.M., Hoffman, B.M., Dean, D.R., and Seefeldt, L.C. 2003.  Localization of a substrate binding site on FeMo-cofactor in nitrogenase:  Trapping propargyl alcohol with an a-70-substituted MoFe protein.  Biochemistry 42, 9102-9109.

56. Igarashi, R.Y. and Seefeldt, L.C. 2003.  Nitrogen fixation:  the mechanism of the Mo-dependent nitrogenase.  Crit. Rev. Biochem. Mol. Biol. 38, 351-384.

57. Seefeldt, L.C., Dance, I., and Dean, D.R. 2004. Substrate interactions with nitrogenase: Fe versus Mo.  Biochemistry 43, 1401-1409.

58. Sen, S., Igarashi, R., Smith, A. Johnson, M.K., Seefeldt, L.C., and Peters, J.W. 2004.  A conformational mimic of the MgATP-bound “on state” of the nitrogenase Fe protein.  Biochemistry 43, 1787-1797. 

59. Igarashi, R.Y., Dos Santos, P.C., Niehaus, W.G., Dance, I., Dean, D.R., and Seefeldt, L.C.  2004. Localization of a catalytic intermediate bound to the FeMo-cofactor of nitrogenase.  J. Biol. Chem. 279, 34770-34775.

60. Lee, H.I., Igarashi, R.Y., Laryukhin, M., Doan, P.E., Dos Santos, P.C., Dean, D.R., Seefeldt, L.C., and Hoffman, B.M. 2004. An organometallic intermediate during alkyne reduction by nitrogenase.  J. Am.Chem. Soc. 126, 9563-9569. 

61. Barney, B.M., Igarashi, R.Y., Dos Santos, P.C., Dean, D.R., Seefeldt, L.C. 2004. Substrate interaction at an iron-sulfur face of the FeMo-cofactor during nitrogenase catalysis.  J. Biol. Chem. 279, 53621-53624. 

62. Jang, S.B., Jeong, M.S., Seefeldt, L.C., Peters, J.W. 2004. Structural and biochemical implications of single amino acid substitutions in the nucleotide-dependent switch regions of the nitrogenase Fe protein from Azotobacter vinelandii.  J. Biol. Inorg. Chem. 9, 1028-1033.

63. Dos Santos, P.C., Igarashi, R.Y., Lee, H.I., Hoffman, B.M., Seefeldt, L.C., Dean, D.R. 2005. Substrate interactions with the nitrogenase active site. Acc. Chem. Res. 38, 208-214.

64. Igarashi, R.Y., Laryukhin, M., Dos Santos, P.C., Lee, H.I, Dean, D.R., Seefeldt, L.C., Hoffman, B.M. 2005. Trapping H- bound to the nitrogenase FeMo-cofactor active site during H2 evolution:  Characterization by ENDOR spectroscopy.  J. Am. Chem. Soc. 127, 6231-6241.

65. Barney, B.M., Laryukhin, M., Igarashi, R.Y., Lee, H.I., Dos Santos, P.C., Yang, T.C., Hoffman, B.M., Dean, D.R., and Seefeldt, L.C. 2005. Trapping a hydrazine reduction intermediate on the nitrogenase active site.  Biochemistry 44, 8030-8037.

66. Yang, T.C., Maeser, N.K., Laryukhin, M., Lee, H.I., Dean, D.R., Seefeldt, L.C., and Hoffman, B.M. 2005. The interstitial atom of the nitrogenase FeMo-cofactor:  ENDOR and ESEEM evidence that it is not a nitrogen.  J. Am. Chem. Soc.  127, 12804-12805. 

67. Barney, B.M., Yang, T.C., Igarashi, R.Y., Dos Santos, P.C., Laryukhin, M., Lee, H.I., Hoffman, B.M., Dean, D.R., and Seefeldt, L.C. 2005. Intermediates trapped during nitrogenase reduction of NN, CH3-N=NH, and H2N-NH2.  J. Am. Chem. Soc. 127, 14960-14961. 

68. Barney, B.M., Lee, H.I., Dos Santos, P.C., Hoffman, B.M., Dean, D.R., and Seefeldt, L.C. 2006.  Breaking the N2 triple bond: insights into the nitrogenase mechanism.  Dalt. Transact., 2277-2284. 

69. Sen, S., Krishnakumar, A., McClead, J., Johnson, M.K., Seefeldt, L.C., Szilagyi, R.K., and Peters, J.W. 2006. Insights into the role of nucletotide-dependent conformational change in nitrogenase catalysis: structural characterization of the nitrogenase Fe protein Leu127 deletion variant with bound MgATP. J. Inorg. Biochem. 100, 1041-1052. 

70. Barney, B.M., Lukoyanov, D., Yang, T.C., Dean, D.R., Hoffman, B.M., and Seefeldt, L.C. 2006.  A methyldiazene (HN=N-CH3)-derived species bound to the nitrogenase active site FeMo-cofactor: implications for mechanism.  Proc. Nat. Acad. Sci. USA 103, 17113-17118.

71. Lukoyanov, D., Barney, BM., Dean, D.R., Seefeldt, L.C., and Hoffman, B.M. 2007. Connecting nitrogenase intermediates with the kinetic scheme for N2 reduction by a relaxation protocol and identification of the N2 binding state. Proc. Nat. Acad. Sci. USA 104, 1451-1455.

72. Barney, B.M., McClead, J., Lukoyanov, D., Laryukhin, M., Yang, T.C., Dean, D.R., Hoffman, B.M., Seefeldt, L.C. 2007. Diazene (HN=NH) is a substrate for nitrogenase:  insights into the pathway of N2 reduction.  Biochemistry 46, 6784-6794.

73. Dos Santos, P.C., Mayer, S.M., Barney, B.M., Seefeldt, L.C., Dean, D.R. 2007. Alkyne substrate interaction within the nitrogenase MoFe protein.  J. Inorg. Biochem. 101, 1642-1648.

74. Sarma, R., Mulder, D., Brecht, E., Szilagyi, R., Seefeldt, L.C., Tsuruta, H., Peters, J.W. (2007) Probing the MgATP-bound conformation of the nitrogenase Fe protein by solution small angle x-ray scattering.  Biochemistry 46, 14058-14066.

75. Lukoyanov, D., V. Pelmenschikov, Maeser, N., Laryukhin, M., Yang, T.C., Noodleman, L., Dean, D.R., Case, D.A., Seefeldt, L.C., and Hoffman, B.M. (2007) Testing if the interstitial atom, X, of the nitrogenase molybdenum-iron cofactor is N or C: ENDOR, ESEEM, and DFT studies of the S = 3/2 resting state in multiple environments.  Inorg. Chem. 46, 11437-11449.

76. Wahlen, B.D., Barney, B.M., and Seefeldt, L.C. (2008) Synthesis of biodiesel from mixed feedstocks and longer chain alcohols using an acid catalyzed method.  Energy Fuels 22, 4223-4228.

77. Sarma, R., Barney, B.M., Hamilton, T.L., Jones, A., Seefeldt, L.C., and Peters, J.W. (2008) Crystal structure of the L protein of Rhodobacter sphaeroides light dependent protochlorophyllide reductase with MgADP bound: a homologue of the nitrogenase Fe protein.  Biochemistry 47, 13004-13015. 

78. Seefeldt, L.C., Hoffman, B.M., Dean, D.R. (2009) Mechanism of Mo-dependent nitrogenase. Ann. Rev. Biochem. 78, 701-722.

79. Hoffman, B.M., Dean, D.R., Seefeldt, L.C. (2009) Climbing nitrogenase: towards a mechanism of enzymatic nitrogen fixation. Acc. Chem. Res. 42, 609-619.

80. Wahlen, B.D., Oswald, W.S., Seefeldt, L.C., Barney, B.M. (2009) Purification, characterization, and potential bacterial wax ester production role of an NADPH-dependent fatty aldehyde reductase from Marinobacter aquaeolei VT8. Appl. Environ. Microbiol. 75, 2758-2764.

81. Barney, B.M., Yurth, M.G., Dos Santos, P.C., Dean, D.R., Seefeldt, L.C. (2009) A substrate channel in the nitrogenase MoFe protein.  J. Biol. Inorg. Chem. 14, 1015-1022.

82. Barney, B.M., Lukoyanov, D., Igarashi, R.Y., Laryukhin, M., Yang, T.C., Dean, D.R., Hoffman, B.M., Seefeldt, L.C. (2009).  Trapping an intermediate of dinitrogen (N2) reduction on nitrogenase.  Biochemistry 48, 9094-9102.

83. Sarma, R., Barney, B.M., Keable, S., Dean, D.R., Seefeldt, L.C., and Peters, J.W. (2010).  Insights into substrate binding at FeMo-cofactor in nitrogenase from the structure of an alpha70Ile MoFe protein variant.  J. Inorg. Biochem. 104, 385-389. 

84. Lukoyanov, D., Yang, Z.Y., Dean, D.R., Seefeldt, L.C., and Hoffman, B.M. (2010). Is Mo involved in hydride binding by the four-electron reduced (E4) intermediate of the nitrogenase MoFe protein? J. Am. Chem. Soc. 132, 2526-2527. 

85. Danyal, K., Mayweather, D., Dean, D.R., Seefeldt, L.C., and Hoffman, B.M. (2010) Conformational gating of electron transfer from nitrogenase Fe protein to MoFe protein.  J. Am. Chem. Soc. 132, 6894-6895. 

86. Danyal, K., Inglet, B.S., Vincent, K.A., Barney, B.M., Hoffman, B.M., Armstrong, F.A, Dean, D.R., and Seefeldt, L.C. Uncoupling nitrogenase: catalytic reduction of hydrazine to ammonia by a MoFe protein in the absence of Fe protein-ATP J. Am. Chem. Soc. (in press).

87. Yang, Z.Y., Seefeldt, L.C., Dean, D.R., Cramer, S.P., and George, S.J. Steric control of the Hi-CO MoFe nitrogenase complex revealed by stopped-flow infra-red spectroscopy.  Ang. Chem. Int. Ed. (in press).


Current Team
wahlen
Brad Wahlen
Graduate Student

brad.wahlen@aggiemail.usu.edu
danyal
K. Danyal
Graduate Student

k.danyal@aggiemail.usu.edu
willis
Robert Willis
Graduate Student

willisfamily17@gmail.com
yang
Zhiyong Yang
Graduate Student

zhiyong.yang@aggiemail.usu.edu
valerie
Valerie Godfrey
Graduate Student

v.harris@aggiemail.usu.edu
boyd
Boyd Inglet
Technician

boydthered.hotmail.com
alex
Alex McCurdy
Graduate Student


a.t.m@aggiemail.usu.edu
shannon
Shannon Wendroth

Graduate Student



shannonwendroth@aggiemail.usu.edu
talbot
Lynsey Talbot
Undergraduate

lynsey.talbot@aggiemail.usu.edu
MikeMJr
Mike Morgan
Undergraduate

mikeytikey@hotmail.com
neil
Neil Draper
Undergraduate

n.i.draper@aggiemail.usu.edu
cannel
Christian Cannell
Undergraduate

christian.cannell@aggiemail.usu.edu


Past Laboratory Members
- Graduate Students and Postdoctoral Fellows
Brett Barney
Postdoctoral Fellow 2009
Assistant Professor, Biological Engineering, University of Minnesota
Madeline Rasche
Postdoctoral Fellow 1997
Professor, Biochemistry Department, California State University Fullerton
Jenny Huyett
Postdoctoral Fellow 2000
Research Scientist, Boulder CO
Paul Benton
Postdoctoral Fellow 2002
Chemistry Department, Montana State University
William Lanzilotta
PhD 1999
Associate Professor, Biochemistry Department, University of Georgia
Matt Ryle
PhD 1998
Research Scientist, IDEXX Laboratories, Inc., Westbrook, ME
Morten Sorlie
PhD 2000
Professor of Chemistry, Norwegian University of Life Sciences, As, Norway
Jeannine Chan
PhD 2001
Assistant Professor, Pacific University
Robert Igarashi
PhD 2005
Assistant Professor, Chemistry Department, University of Central Florida
Wei Wu
MS 2001
Nutrition and Food Science, Utath State University
Jammi McClead
MS 2007
Ohio State University
Alejandro Pabon
MS 2008
Utah Valley University
Nate Maeser
MS 2008
Medical School Australia

Past Laboratory Members - Undergraduate Students
David Cook
BS Chemistry
MD Johns Hopkins Univ.
Kate Decker
BS Chemistry

Scott Woodhouse
BS Chemistry
PhD Duke University
Cally Duncan
Fort Lewis College, CO

Talmage Shill
BS Life Sciences
MD Virginia Commonwealth
Sean Johnson
BS Chemistry
PhD Duke University, Assistant Professor Utah State University
Sterling Nesbit
BS Chemistry

Alicia Backlund
BS Chemistry

David Duke
BS Biology

Eric Westerberg
BS Chemistry

Jeremy Gibbons
BS Chemistry

Sarah Wheat
BS Chemistry

Kevin Gilbert
BS Chemistry

Ian Schwerdt
BS Chemistry

Whittney Brough
BS Biochemistry

Mike Yurth
BS Life Sciences
DDS University of Michigan
Whitney Oswald
BS Biochemistry

Alma Jones
BS Biochemistry

Justin Peterson
BS Chemistry

Richard Potter
BS Chemistry



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updated 12/6/10