John Marino

My research interests are focused in two principle areas: RNA interactions involved in gene regulation and retroviral replication and G-Protein Coupled Receptor signaling. The RNA work has focused on studies of RNA loop-loop kissing complexes derived from bacterial plasmid regulatory systems and the HIV-1 retroviral dimerization linkage site, the interaction of these RNA complexes with small auxiliary proteins and the interaction of small molecule ligands with potential RNA drug targets. The work related to G-Protein Coupled Receptor (GPCR) signaling, carried out in close collaboration with Dr. Kevin Ridge (University of Texas-Houston) and Prof. Danielle Brabazon (Loyola College of Maryland), has aimed to probe the structural basis for guanine nucleotide exchange in G Protein Coupled Receptor signaling. To advance our studies, we develop new NMR and fluorescence methods to facilitated characterization of the structure, dynamics and binding kinetics of these macromolecular interactions. Overall, the research in my group has been driven by the goal of applying precise and general measurement methods to define the structure, thermodynamics and kinetics of RNA structural folds, RNA-ligand complexes and protein-protein interactions at the molecular level. In addition to gaining fundamental insights into macromolecular function, our research aims to impact the fields of pharmaceutical design and development.

Recent publications

Najmoutin G. Abdulaev, Xiang Mao, Eva Ramon, Tony Ngo, Justyna Mysliwy, John P. Marino, and Kevin D. Ridge (2008) Detecting Long Range Structural Coupling in a Heterotrimeric G protein alpha-subunit by NMR Spectroscopy, Photochemistry and Photobiology (2009), in press.

Hye Young Yi-Brunozzi, Robert G. Brinson, Danielle M. Brabazon, Daniela Lener, Stuart F. J. Le Grice, and John P. Marino (2008) High Resolution NMR Analysis of the Conformations of Native and Base Analog Substituted Retroviral and LTR-retrotransposon Polypurine Tract Primers, Chem Biol. 2008 Mar;15(3):254-62. 

Kevin B. Turner, Robert G. Brinson, Hye Young Yi-Brunozzi, Jennifer T. Mille, Jason W. Rausch, Stuart F.J. Le Grice, John P. Marino, and Daniele Fabris (2008) Structural probing of the HIV-1 polypurine tract RNA:DNA hybrid using classic nucleic acid ligands, Nucl. Acids. Res., 2008 May;36(8):2799-810.

Zhao, C. Marino JP Synthesis of HIV-1 Y-site RNA Sequences with site specific incorporation of the fluorescent base analog 2-aminopurine. Tetrahedron. 2007 April; 63: 3575-3584.