Dr. Agata Kranjc Pietrucci

Researcher

I am interested in elucidating molecular mechanisms of diseases in silico by focusing not only on the structure and function of a single protein involved in a disease, but also on its interactions with its molecular network partners. I am interested in drug design taking into account all the information of the spatial and temporal organization of the multiprotein complexes. Finally, I am interested in studying how different ligands/drugs and mutations  impact  the structure and function of the target protein and of its molecular network, in order to achieve 1) a complete understanding of all the factors at play in pathology-related processes at the molecular scale, and 2) a detailed explanation and interpretation of experiments from the structural, thermodynamic and kinetic viewpoints.

Professional career

Education

University Teaching Responsabilities

Publications

1. N. Hanna, S. Kicka, G. Chiriano, C. Harrison, H. Ouertatani Sakouhi, V. Trofimov, A. Kranjc, J. Nitschke, M. Pagni, P. Cosson, H. Hilbi, L. Scapozza, and T. Soldati; Identification of novel anti-mycobacterium and anti-Legionella compounds with potential distinctive structural scaffold from an HD-PBL using phenotypic screens in amoebae host models, Frontiers in Microbiology: Antimicrobials, Resistance and Chemotherapy, submitted October 2019.
2. L. Slepikas, G. Chiriano, R. Perozzo, S. Tardy, A. Kranjc, O. Patthey-Vuadens, H. Ouertatani-Sakouhi, S. Kicka, C. F. Harrison, T. Scrignari, K. Perron, H. Hilbi, T. Soldati, P. Cosson, E. Tarasevicius, L. Scapozza; In silico driven design and synthesis of rhodanine derivatives as novel antibacterials targeting the enoyl reductase InhA, J Med Chem 59 (2016) 10917 – 10928.
3. F. Pietrucci, A. V. Vargiu, A. Kranjc; HIV-1 protease dimerization dynamics reveals a transient druggable binding pocket at the interface, Scientific Reports, 5 (2015) article number 18555.
4. C.F. Harrison, G. Chiriano, I. Finsel, C. Manske, C. Hoffmann, B. Steiner, A. Kranjc, O. Patthey-Vuadens, S. Kicka, V. Trofimov, H. Ouertatani-Sakouhi, T. Soldati, L. Scapozza, H. Hilbi; Amoebae-based screening reveals a novel family of compounds restricting intracellular Legionella pneumophila, ACS Infectious Diseases, 1 (2015) 327-338 (Editor’s choice).
5. C.F. Harrison, S. Kicka, A. Kranjc, I. Finsel, G. Chiriano, H. Ouertatani-Sakouhi, T. Soldati, L. Scapozza, H. Hilbi; Adrenergic antagonists restrict replication of Legionella, Microbiology 161 (2015) 1392-1406.
6. D. Latawiec, F. Herrera, A. Bek, V. Losasso, M. Candotti, F. Benetti, E. Carlino,A. Kranjc, M. Lazzarino, S. Gustincich, P. Carloni, G. Legname; Modulation of alpha-synuclein aggregation by dopamine analogs, PLoS ONE, 5 (2010) e9234.
7. A. Kranjc, S. Bongarzone, G. Rossetti, X. Biarnés, A. Cavalli, M. L. Bolognesi, M. Roberti, G. Legname, P. Carloni; Docking ligands on protein surfaces. The case study of prion protein, J. Chem. Theory Comput., 5 (2009) 2565-2573.
8. A. Kranjc, F. W. Grillo, J. Rievaj, A. Boccaccio, F. Pietrucci, P. Carloni, A. Menini, C. Anselmi; Regulation of bestrophins by Ca 2+ : a theoretical and experimental study, PLoS ONE, 4 (2009) e46722009.
9. V. Campana, L. Zentilin, I. Mirabile, A. Kranjc, P. Casanova, M. Giacca, S.B. Prusiner, G. Legname and C. Zurzolo; Antibody fragments for immunotherapy of prion diseases, Biochem. J., 418 (2009) 507-515.
10. K. Galesa, U. Bren, A. Kranjc and J. Mavri; Carcinogenicity of Acrylamide: A Computational Study, J. Arg. Food Chem, 56 (2008) 8720-8727.
11. A. Kranjc, C. Anselmi, P. Carloni and F. E. Blaney; Structural Models of Human Big Conductance Calcium- and Voltage-gated Potassium Channels, Comp. Phys. Comm., 177 (2007) 21-26.
12. A. Kranjc, J. Mavri; Guanine Alkylation by Ethylene Oxide: Calculation of Chemical Reactivity, J. Phys. Chem. A, 110 (2006) 5740-5744.

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