Elisabetta Bini Assistant Professor Rutgers University Dept. of Biochemistry and Microbiology School of Env & Biol Sciences Lipman Hall. Room 122 76 Lipman Drive New Brunswick. N. J. 08901-0231 (732) 932-9763. ext. 122 FAX - 8965 bini@aesop.rutgers.edu

Regulation of gene expression in response to heavy metals exposure by hyperthermophilic archaeal organisms

The outcomes of our research are expected to answer important questions: What are the molecular mechanisms of metal metabolism. the determinants of metal resistance and the targets of metal toxicity in hot environment? What are and how are the pathways of metal metabolism regulated at the genetic level? To answer these questions we employ biochemical and molecular biology tools in addition to microarray technology to predict functional roles of unknown genes. characterize proteins and regulatory networks involved in heavy metals metabolism. Sulfolobus solfataricus. an hyperthermophilic archaeon that lives in acidic hotsprings (pH3. 80°C). with its completely sequenced genome. is our model system. Another area of interest is the functional genomics analysis of Sulfolobus to discover and characterize genes with roles in the biodegradation of chemical contaminants.

Selected Publications

Chae JC, Kim E, Bini E, Zylstra GJ. (2007) Comparative analysis of the catechol 2,3-dioxygenase gene locus in thermoacidophilic archaeon Sulfolobus solfataricus strain 98/2. Biochem Biophys Res Commun. Apr 16; [Epub ahead of print]

Wong Po Foo C.. Bini E.. Hensman J.. Knight D.P.. Lewis R.V. and Kaplan D.L. (2006) Role of pH and charge on silk protein assembly in insects and spiders. Appl. Phys. A 82:223-233.

Wong Po Foo C.. Bini E.. Huang J.. Lee S.Y. and Kaplan D.L. (2006) Solution behavior of synthetic silk peptides and modified recombinant silk proteins. Appl. Phys. A 82:193-203.

Hoang V.. Bini E.. Dixit V.. Drozda M.. Blum P. (2004) The role of cis-acting sequences governing catabolite repression control of lacS expression in the archaeon Sulfolobus solfataricus. Genetics 167:1563-1572.

Dixit V.. Bini E.. Drozda M. and Blum P. (2004) Mercury inactivates transcription and the general transcription factor. TFB in the archaeon Sulfolobus solfataricus. Antimicrobial Agents & Chemotherapy 48: 1993-1999.

Bini E.. Knight D. P. and Kaplan D. L. (2004) Mapping domain structures in silks from insects and spiders related to protein assembly. J. Mol. Biol. 335: 27-40.

Huang J.. Valluzzi R.. Bini E.. Vernaglia B. and Kaplan D.L. (2003) Cloning. expression and assembly of sericin-like protein. J. Biol. Chem. 278: 46117-23.

Bini E.. Dikshit V.. Dirksen K. L.. Drozda M. and Blum P. (2002) Stability of mRNA in the hyperthermophilic archaeon Sulfolobus solfataricus. RNA 8: 1129-1136