 | Peter A. Beal Professor Email: beal@chem.ucdavis.edu Phone:(530) 752-4132 B.S. University of North Dakota, 1989. Ph.D. Caltech, 1994. NIH Postdoctoral Associate, Harvard University 1994-1996 Phi Beta Kappa, 1989. Robert Parry Teaching Award, 2005. Group Page |
| Principal Research Interests |  |
The Beal laboratory of chemical biology uses synthetic chemistry and synthetic biology to study and control ribonucleic acids (RNAs). RNAs are structurally complex biopolymers whose proper function is central to all life including bacteria, viruses and humans. Our work is advancing the understanding of essential basic science principles of RNA structure and recognition and is providing a platform for the development of new medicines targeting RNA or RNA-binding proteins. We create new RNA molecules by chemical synthesis with nucleoside analogs, introducing novel and desirable features. In addition, new small molecules are synthesized that are capable of perturbing natural RNA function or the function of RNA-modifying enzymes. Finally, directed evolution carried out in our lab generates new RNA structures and new RNA-modifying enzymes with valuable properties. We have applied these approaches to the study of RNA-editing adenosine deaminases, RNA interference by short interfering RNAs (siRNAs), the RNA-dependent protein kinase (PKR), and RNA-targeted threading intercalators. | |
| Representative Publications "Selection of Small Molecule Mediators of the RNA Regulation of PKR, the RNAdependent Protein Kinase" Coby B. Carlson, Richard J. Spanggord and Peter A. Beal, ChemBioChem, 2002, 3, 9, 859-865. "Controlling protein activity with ligand-regulated RNA aptamers" Momchilo Vuyisich and Peter A. Beal, Chem. Biol., 2002, 9, 907-913. "Preferred RNA Binding Sites for a Threading Intercalator Revealed by In Vitro Evolution" Coby B. Carlson, Momchilo Vuyisich, Barry D. Gooch and Peter A. Beal, Chem. Biol., 2003, 10, 7, 663-672. "Small Molecule Inhibitors of the RNA-dependent Protein Kinase PKR" Narasimham V. Jammi, Landon R. Whitby and Peter A. Beal, Biochem. Biophys. Res. Comm., 2003, 308, 1, 50-57.v "Recognition of Double-Stranded RNA by Proteins and Small Molecules" Coby B. Carlson, Olen M. Stephens and Peter A. Beal, Biopolymers, 2003, 70, 1, 86-102. "Substrate Analogues for an RNA-editing Adenosine Deaminase: Mechanistic Investigation and Inhibitor Design" Eduardo A. Véliz, LaHoma M. Easterwood and Peter A. Beal, J. Am. Chem. Soc., 2003, 125, 36, 10867-10876. "Peptide Quinoline Conjugates: A new class of RNA binding molecules" Malathy Krishnamurthy, Barry D. Gooch and Peter A. Beal, Org. Lett., 2004, 6, 1, 63-66. "Site-Specific Modification of Epstein-Barr Virus-Encoded RNA 1 with N2-Benzylguanosine Limits the Binding Sites Occupied by PKR" Sujiet Puthenveetil, Eduardo A. Véliz and Peter A. Beal, ChemBioChem, 2004 , 5, 383-386. "The Binding Selectivity of ADAR2's dsRBMs Contributes to RNA-editing Site Selectivity" Olen M. Stephens, Brittany L. Haudenschild, and Peter A. Beal, Chem. Biol., 2004 , 11, 9, 1239-1250. "Recognition of Duplex RNA by Helix-Threading Peptides" Barry D. Gooch and Peter A. Beal, J. Am. Chem. Soc., 2004 , 126, 10603-10610. "A Transition State Analog for an RNA-editing Reaction" Brittany L. Haudenschild, Olena Maydanovych, Eduardo A. Véliz, Mark R. Macbeth, Brenda L. Bass and Peter A. Beal, J. Am. Chem. Soc., 2004 , 126, 11213-11219. "Inhibitory properties of nucleic acid-binding ligands on protein synthesis" Abba Malina, Shakila Khan, Coby B. Carlson, Yuri Svitkin, Isabelle Harvey, Nahum Sonenberg, Peter A. Beal , and Jerry Pelletier, FEBS Lett., 2005 , 579, 1, 79-89. "Duplex RNA-binding Enzymes: Headliners from Neurobiology, Virology, and Development" Peter A. Beal, ChemBioChem, 2005, 2, 6, 257-266. "Binding of Helix-Threading Peptides to E. coli 16S Ribosomal RNA and Inhibition of the S15-16S Complex" Barry D. Gooch, Malathy Krishnamurthy, Mohammed Shadid, and Peter A. Beal, ChemBioChem, 2005, 6, 12, 2247-2254. "RNA Binding and Thiolytic Stability of a Quinoline-containing Helix-threading Peptide" Malathy Krishnamurthy, Barry D. Gooch, and Peter A. Beal, Org. Biomol. Chem. 2006, 4, 639- 645. "Mitsunobu Reactions of Nucleoside Analogs using Triisopropyl Phosphite-DIAD” Eduardo A. Véliz and Peter A. Beal, Tetrahedron Lett. 2006, 47, 3153-3156. "Breaking the Central Dogma by RNA editing" Olena Maydanovych and Peter A. Beal, Chem. Rev. 2006, 106, 3397-3411. "C6-substituted Analogs of 8-Azanebularine: Probes of an RNA-editing Enzyme Active Site" Olena Maydanovych and Peter A. Beal, Org. Lett. 2006, 8, 17, 3753-3756. "Controlling Activation of the RNA-dependent Protein Kinase by siRNAs using Site-specific Chemical Modification" Sujiet Puthenveetil, Landon Whitby, Jin Ren, Kevin Kelnar, Joseph F. Krebs, and Peter A. Beal, Nucleic Acids Res. 2006, 34, 17, 4900-4911. "High throughput screening for functional A to I RNA editing systems" Subhash Pokharel and Peter A. Beal, ACS Chem. Biol. 2006, 1, 12, 761-765. | |