Dr. Maxim Soukhodolets
Associate Professor of Biochemistry

Office: CH 121Q
Ph. (409) 880-7906
Fax (409) 880-8270
Email: max.soukhodolets@lamar.edu

Our research group seeks to apply simplified bacterial models to the mechanistic analyses of enzymes involved in nucleic acids metabolism. Our studies focus on proteins that have clearly defined eukaryotic homologs linked to important human diseases. Methodologically, we rely on a blend of biochemical, biophysical, and genetic techniques.

BL2-5 08 DNA RNA

BL6 DNA Purification Analysis Copy

DNA Repair

Representative Publications

Studies with the E. coli RNA polymerase-associated RNA extractor protein RapA

Richmond M, Pasupula RR, Kansara SG, Autery JP, Monk BM, Sukhodolets MV (2011) RapA, Escherichia coli RNA polymerase SWI/SNF subunit subunit-dependent polyadenylation of RNA. Biochemistry 50: 2298-2312.

Yawn B, Zhang L, Mura C, Sukhodolets MV (2009) RapA, the SWI/SNF subunit of Escherichia coli RNA polymerase, promotes the release of nascent RNA from transcription complexes. Biochemistry 48: 7794-7806.

McKinley B, Sukhodolets MV (2007) Escherichia coli RNA polymerase polymerase-associated SWI/SNF protein RapA: evidence for RNA-directed binding and remodeling activity. Nucleic Acids Res. 35: 7044-7060.

General studies with the E. coli RNA polymerase

Kansara SG, Sukhodolets MV (2011) Oligomerization of the E. coli core RNA polymerase: formation of (a2bb') 2-DNA complexes and regulation of the oligomerization by auxiliary subunits. PLoS ONE 6: e18990.

Studies with the Sm-like protein Hfq

Jackson TC, Sukhodolets MV (2017) Functional analyses of putative PalS (Palindromic Self-recognition) motifs in bacterial Hfq. Biochem. Biophys. Res. Commun. 486: 1048-1054.

Obregon KA, Hoch CT, Sukhodolets MV (2015) Sm-like protein Hfq: Composition of the native complex, modifications, and interactions. Biochim. Biophys. Acta 1854: 950-966.

Arluison V, Mutyam SK, Mura C, Marco S, Sukhodolets MV (2007) Sm-like protein Hfq: location of the ATP-binding site and the effect of ATP on Hfq-RNA complexes. Protein Science 16: 1830-1841.

Sukhodolets MV, Garges S (2003) Interaction of Escherichia coli RNA polymerase with the ribosomal protein S1 and the Sm-like ATPase Hfq. Biochemistry 42: 8022-8034. 

Studies with E. coli polynucleotide phosphorylase

Encalade GA, Sukhodolets MV (2014) Polyadenylation of RNA in E. coli: RNA polymerase-associated (rA)n-synthetic activities. Methods Mol. Biol. 1125: 251-262.