个人简介

Diploma in Chemistry, University of Braunschweig, 1990. Dr. rer. nat., University of Braunschweig, 1993. HFSPO Postdoctoral Fellow, University of California, Los Angeles, 1994-1996. Research Assistant, University of California, Los Angeles, 1996-1998. Assistant Professor, University of California, Davis, 1998-2005. Associate Professor, Univbersity of Waterloo, 2005-.

研究领域

Biochemistry

NMR-spectroscopy, RNA and protein structure, RNA-protein interactions, RNA catalysis, viral infections and cellular defense mechanisms Nuclear magnetic resonance spectroscopy has developed into a powerful method for the structure determination of small and medium sized proteins (up to ca. 250 aa) and nucleic acids (up to ca. 50 nt) in solution. NMR spectroscopy is in many ways complementary to x-ray crystallography: The structures are obtained in solution, its strength lies in the area of smaller biomolecules, and NMR allows a detailed study of weak intermolecular interactions and dynamic processes. RNA plays a central role in numerous central processes in all living cells. It fulfills functions ranging from structural roles (in vaults and ribosomes) over that of an information carrier (mRNA, viral genomes) to catalysis (self-splicing introns, plant virus ribozymes). The "RNA-world" hypothesis assumes an even greater importance of RNA with it being the sole information carrier and catalyst for all reactions in pre-biotic times and maybe in primitive life forms. The laboratory will focus on two areas of RNA related research: Small RNAs with interesting ligand binding or catalytic properties and the structure and function of RNA-protein complexes. Aptamers are RNA or DNA molecules that have been selected in vitro to bind to a ligand of choice. In vitro selection experiments have been used to evolve the ATP-binding aptamer into a 5’-RNA kinase. The determination of the structure of this kinase ribozyme and the study of its reaction mechanism will provide important insights into RNA evolution and its role as a catalyst. Other small RNAs of interest include a phenylalanyl-tRNA synthetase binding aptamer and self-aminoacylating RNA. The structure determination of RNA and RNA-protein complexes by NMR requires the development and application of heteronuclear, multi-dimensional NMR techniques in combination with complete or specific 13C, 15N, and 2H labeling of the molecules under investigation. In addition in vitro selection can be applied to find RNAs with high affinities for target proteins or modules of these proteins. The study of ion-binding to RNA and the investigation of the molecular dynamics of free RNAs and their complexes will add to a more complete picture of the structure and function of RNA and RNA-protein interactions on a molecular level.

近期论文

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Piazza M, Taiakina V, Guillemette SR, Guillemette JG, and Dieckmann T: Solution Structure of Calmodulin bound to the target peptide of Endothelial Nitric Oxide Synthase phosphorylated at Thr495. 2014, Biochemistry, in Press. (Abstract and full text) Da Costa JB, Andreiev AI, and Dieckmann T: Thermodynamics and Kinetics of Adaptive Binding in the Malachite Green RNA Aptamer. 2013, Biochemistry, 52:6575-6583. (Abstract and full text) Da Costa JB and Dieckmann T: Structure and Thermodynamics of Drug-RNA Aptamer Interactions. 2013, Mini-Rev Med Chem, 13:467-477. (Abstract and full text) Piazza M, Futrega K, Spratt DE, Dieckmann T, and Guillemette JG: Structure and dynamics of calmodulin (CaM) bound to nitric oxide synthase peptides: Effects of a phosphomimetic CaM mutation. 2012, Biochemistry, 5:3651-3661. (Abstract and full text) Da Costa JB and Dieckmann T: Entropy and Mg2+ control ligand affinity and specificity in the malachite green binding RNA aptamer. 2011 Molecular BioSystems, 7:2156-2163. (Abstract and full text) Piazza M, Duangkham Y, Spratt DE, Dieckmann T, Guillemette JG: Expression and purification of an isotopically labeled aggregation prone inducible nitric oxide synthase calmodulin-binding protein for use in nuclear magnetic resonance studies. 2011, Journal of Labelled Compounds and Radiopharmaceuticals, 54: 657-663. (Abstract and full text) Dieckmann T and Legault P: Biomolecular NMR Spectroscopy of Ribonucleic Acids. 2008 In: ENCYCLOPEDIA OF LIFE SCIENCES. John Wiley & Sons, Ltd: Chichester. (Abstract and full text) Zumwalt M, Ludwig A, Hagerman PJ, and Dieckmann T: Secondary Structure and Dynamics of the r(CGG) Repeat in the mRNA of the Fragile X Mental Retardation 1 (FMR1) Gene 2007, RNA Biology, 4: 93-100. (Abstract and full text) Moore NW, Delacruz ARC , Lancaster KS , Dieckmann T and Kuhl TL: Synthesis of a Reversible Streptavidin Binder for Biomimetic Assemblies 2007, Australian Journal of Chemistry, 60: 363–368. (Abstract and full text) Flinders J, Dieckmann T: NMR Spectroscopy of Ribonucleic Acids 2006, Progress in NMR Spectroscopy, 48: 137-159. (Abstract and full text) Brackett DM, Dieckmann T: Aptamer to Ribozyme: The intrinsic catalytic potential of a small RNA 2006, ChemBioChem, 7: 839-843. (Abstract and full text) Recommended on Faculty of 1000! Flinders J, Dieckmann T: The Solution Structure of the VS Ribozyme Active Site Loop Reveals a Dynamic 'Hotspot' 2004, J. Mol. Biol. 341: 935-949. (Abstract and full text) Qin PZ, Dieckmann T: Application of NMR and EPR methods to the study of RNA . Current Opinion in Structural Biology 2004, 14: 350-359. (Abstract and full text) Nguyen DH, Dieckmann T, Colvin ME, Fink WH: Dynamics studies of a malachite Green-RNA complex revealing the origin of the red-shift and energetic contributions of stacking interactions. Journal of Physical Chemistry B 2004, 108:1279-1286. (Abstract and full text) Flinders J, DeFina SC, Brackett DM, Baugh C, Wilson C, Dieckmann T: Recognition of planar and nonplanar ligands in the malachite green-RNA aptamer complex. Chembiochem 2004, 5:62-72. (Abstract and full text) Vyas S, Weekley AJ , Tenn BK, Flinders JC, Dieckmann T, Augustine MP: Using sodium cation organization to study the phase behavior of bicelle solutions. Journal of Physical Chemistry B 2003, 107:10956-10961. (Abstract and full text) DeFina SC, Dieckmann T: Synthesis of selectively 15N or 13C labeled Malachite Green. J. Label Compd Radiopharm 2002, 45:241-248. (Abstract and full text) Nguyen D, DeFina SC, Fink W, Dieckmann T: Binding to an RNA Aptamer Changes the Charge Distribution and Conformation of Malachite Green. J. Am. Chem. Soc. 2002, 124:15081-15084. (Abstract and full text) Zhou XZ, Jin XG, Medhekar R, Chen XY, Dieckmann T, Toney MD: Rapid kinetic and isotopic studies on dialkylglycine decarboxylase. Biochemistry 2001, 40:1367-1377. (Abstract and full text) Bouvet P, Finger DL, Allain FHT, Dieckmann T, Feigon J: Recognition of Pre-formed and Flexible Elements of an RNA Stem-loop by Nucleolin. J. Mol. Biol. 2001, 309:763-775. (Abstract and full text)