Dr. Leigh Plesniak Office: Center for Science and Technology - 489 Phone: (619) 260-4031 e-mail Address: leigh@sandiego.edu

Academic Background
Bachelor of Arts: University of Virginia

M.S.,Ph.D : University of California, San Diego in the laboratory of Dr. Edward Dennis

Research LAB Homepage

In our laboratory, we take a multi-faceted approach toward answering basic structural and mechanistic questions about biochemical systems.  The primary tools used include fluorescence spectroscopy, circular dichroism spectroscopy and nuclear magnetic resonance spectroscopy (NMR).  We have used NMR to study peptide and protein structure, enzyme function and protein:lipid interactions.  Read more about current projects in the lab.

Publications  (* Underlined names are USD students)

Cristina M. Sandoval , Bernhard H. Geierstanger , Satoshi Fujimura, Calvin Balatbat , Taylor Williams, Julio de Unamuno, Jennifer A. Whiles-Lillig, Lisa M. Ellerby , H. Michael Ellerby, Patricia Jennings  and Leigh A. Plesniak (2006) Structural Evaluation of a Novel Pro-apoptotic Peptide Coupled to CNGRC Tumor Homing Sequence by NMR. Chemical Biology and Drug Design.  67, 6  383-450.

Leigh A. Plesniak, Jonathan I. Parducho, Angie Ziebart, Bernhard H. Geierstanger, Jennifer Whiles, Guiseppe Melacini, & Patricia A. Jennings.  Orientation and Helical Conformation of a Tissue Specific Hunter-KillePeptide in Micelles. (2004)  Protein Science. 13:1988-96.

Leigh A. Plesniak, Yuki Horiuchi, Daniel Sem, David Meinenger, Linda Stiles, Jennifer Shaffer, Patricia A. Jennings, and Joseph A. Adams.  Probing the Nucleotide Binding Domain of Osmoregulator EnvZ Using Fluorescent Nucleotide Derivatives.  (2002) Biochemistry.  41: 876-82. http://pubs.acs.org/journals/bichaw/index.html

Martha.L. Medina, Barbara S. Chapman, James P. Bolender and Leigh A. Plesniak.  Transient Vesicle Leakage Initiated by a Synthetic Apoptotic Peptide Derived from the Death Domain of Neurotrophin Receptor, p75NTR.  (2002)  Journal of Peptide Research. 59 (4):  149-158.  http://www.blackwell-synergy.com/

Matthew R. Hileman, Barbara S. Chapman, S. Rabizadeh, V.V. Krishnan, Dale Bredesen, Nuria  Assa-Munt,  & Leigh A. Plesniak.  (1997)  A Cytoplasmic Peptide of the Neurotrophin Receptor p75NTR:  Induction of Apoptosis and NMR Determined Helical Conformation.  FEBS Letters  415: 145-154.

Leigh A. Plesniak, Greg Conolly & Lawrence P. McIntosh. (1996) Characterization of a Buried Neutral Histidine Residue in Bacillus circulans Xylanase - NMR Assignments, pH Titration and Hydrogen Exchange. Protein Science. 5: 2319-2328.

Leigh A. Plesniak, Warren W. Wakarchuk and Lawrence P. McIntosh. (1996) Secondary Structure and NMR Assignments of Bacillus circulans Xylanase. Protein Science. 5: 1118-1135.

Lawrence P. McIntosh, Greg Hand, Phillip E. Johnson, M.D. Joshi, M. Korner, Leigh A. Plesniak, L. Ziser, Warren W. Wakarchuk, & Stephen Withers . (1996) Sidechain Titration of Catalytic Glutamic Acids of Bacillus ciruclans Xylanase. Biochemistry. 35: 9958-9966.

Leigh A. Plesniak, Lin Yu, and Edward A. Dennis. (1995) Conformation of Micellar Phospholipid Bound to the Active Site of Phospholipase A2. Biochemistry. 34: 494 -4951.

Leigh A. Plesniak, Scott C. Boegeman, Brent W. Segelke, and Edward A. Dennis. (1993) Interaction of Phospholipase A2 with Thioether Amide Containing Phospholipid Analogues. Biochemistry. 32: 5009 - 5016.