Jacek Wower

• Ph.D., Adam Mickiewicz University, Poznan, Poland
• M.S., Adam Mickiewicz University, Poznan, Poland

Our main research interests lie within the overlapping fields of RNA structure and function, protein-nucleic acid interactions, and protein synthesis. The work is concentrated on tRNA and tmRNA, two small RNA molecules which play an important role in protein synthesis and trans-translation.

Investigation of the structure and role of tmRNA in regulation of translation and protein turnover in bacteria. The studies focus on the specific features of several critical interactions between tmRNA, its associated proteins, and the ribosome.

Experimental methods: site-directed mutagenesis, site-directed cross-linking and phylogenetic comparisons with the cloned components of the tmRNA system.

Research Support: National Institute of Health, “Genetic and chemical probes of trans- translation”. 1998-2003.

• BCHE 7210 – Advanced Biochemistry II
• BCHE 7230 – Biochemistry of Macromolecules
• BCHE 7260 – Bioinformatics

SELECT PUBLICATIONS

• Petrov, A.I., S. J.E. Kay, R. Gibson, E. Kulesha, D. Staines, E.A. Bruford, M.W. Wright, S. Burge, R. D. Finn, P. J. Kersey, G. Cochrane, A. Bateman, S. Griffiths-Jones, J. Harrow, P. P. Chan, T. M. Lowe, C. W. Zwieb, J. Wower, K.P. Williams, C.M. Hudson, R. Gutell, M. B. Clark, M. Dinger, X. Cheng Quek, J. M. Bujnicki, N-H. Chua, J. Liu, H. Wang, G. Skogerbo, Y. Zhao, R. Chen, W. Zhu, J. R. Cole, B. Chai, H-D. Huang, H-Y. Huang, J. M. Cherry, A. Hatzigeorgiou, K. D. Pruitt. (2015) RNAcentral: An international database of ncRNA sequences. Nucleic Acid Research, 43 (Database Issue), D1, 14-18.
• Wower, I.K., Zwieb C. and Wower, J. (2014) Requirements for Resuming Translation in Chimeric Transfer-messenger RNAs of Escherichia coli and Mycobacterium tuberculosis. BMC Molecular Biology, 15(1):19; DOI: 10.1186/1471-2199-15-19.
• Wower, I.K., Nusrat J., Zwieb C. and Wower, J. (2013) Ribosomal Protein S1: An important trans-translational factor. Biochemistry and Physiology S2, 1-7. Doi: 10.4172/2168-9652.S2-001.
• Sundaram P, Kurniawan H, Byrne ME and Wower J (2013) Therapeutic RNA Aptamers in Clinical Trials, Eur. J. Pharm. Sci. 48(1-2): 259-271[Epub ahead of print].
• Sundaram P, Wower J and Byrne ME (2012) A Nano Scale Drug Delivery Carrier Using Nucleic Acid Aptamers for Extended Release of Therapeutic. Nanomedicine, 8(7), 1143-1151, doi:10.1016/j.nano.2012.01.010.
• Sundaram P, Wower J and Byrne ME (2011) Controlled Therapeutic Release from a Nucleic Acid Aptamer Functionalized Gold Nanoparticle Platform.Trans. Soc. Biomater. 34, 674.
• Fu J, Hashem Y, Wower J and Frank J. (2011) tmRNA on Its Way Through the Ribosome: Two Steps of Resume, and What Next? RNA Biology 8(4), 586-590. Epub 2011 July 1.
• Burks JM, Zwieb C, Mueller F, Wower IK and Wower J (2011) Comparative Structural Studies of Bovine Viral Diarrhea Virus IRES RNA (2011) Virus Res. 160(1-2): 136-142. Epub 2011 June 12.
• Burks JM, Zwieb C, Mueller F, Wower IK and Wower J (2011) In Silico Analysis of IRES RNAs of Foot-and-Mouth Disease Virus and Related Picornaviruses. Arch. Virol. 156(10): 1737-47. Epub 2011 Jun 17.
• Fu J, Hashem J, Wower I, Lei J, Liao HY, Zwieb C, Wower J. and Frank J. (2010) Visualizing the transfer-messenger RNA as the ribosome resumes translation. EMBO J, 29(22): 3819-3825. Epub 2010 Oct. 12.
• Mao C, RI Fish, Bhardwaj K, Sharkady SM, Driscoll T, Wower J, Zwieb CW, Sobral BWS and Williams KP (2009) Variations on the tmRNA gene. RNA Biology 6(4):355-361. Epub 2009 Sept. 4.
• Venkatesh S, Wower J, Byrne M (2009) Nucleic Acid therapeutic carriers with on-demand triggered release. Bioconjugate Chemistry 20(9):1773-1782.
• Wower J, Zwieb C, Wower IK. (2009) Escherichia coli tmRNA lacking pseudoknot 1 tags truncated proteins in vivo and in vitro. RNA 15:128-137.
• Iakhiaeva E, Wower J, Wower I, Zwieb C. (2008) An 11-nucleotide motif in helix 5 of eukaryotic signal recognition particle RNA contains a conserved adenosine residue that is indispensable for the binding of protein SRP72. RNA 14:1143-1153.
• Wower J, Wower I, Zwieb C. (2008) Making the jump: the insights into the mechanism of trans-translation. J. Biol. 7(5)-17-21.
• Andersen ES, Rosenblad MA, Larsen N, Westergaard JC, Burks J, Wower IK, Wower J, Gorodkin J, Samuelsson T, Zwieb C. (2006) The tmRDB and SRPDB resources. Nucleic Acids Res. 34(Database issue):D163-8.
• Wower IK, Zwieb C, Wower J. (2005) Transfer-messenger RNA unfolds as it transits the ribosome. RNA. 11(5):668-73.
• Burks J, Zwieb C, Muller F, Wower I, Wower J. (2005) Comparative 3-D modeling of tmRNA. BMC Mol Biol. 6(1):14.
• Wower IK, Zwieb C, Wower J. (2005) Contributions of pseudoknots and protein SmpB to the structure and function of tmRNA in trans-translation. J Biol Chem. 279(52): 54202-9.
• Okada T, Wower IK, Wower J, Zwieb CW, Kimura M. (2004) Contribution of the second OB fold of ribosomal protein S1 from Escherichia coli to the recognition of tmRNA. Biosci. Biotechnol. Biochem. 68 (11): 2415-21.
• Zwieb, C., Gorodkin, J., Knudsen, B., Burks, J. and Wower, J. (2003) tmRDB. Nucleic Acids Res. 31(1), 446-447.