User:Petra Prijatelj

Petra Prijatelj

email: petra.prijatelj{afna}fkkt.uni-lj.si

University Education: B. Sc. (1998), FCCT, University of Ljubljana. Ph. D. (2003), Medical Faculty, University of Ljubljana.

Research Interests: I am interested in defining amino acid residues important for presynaptic neurotoxicity of ammodytoxin A (AtxA), a phospholipase A2 from the venom of the long-nosed viper (Vipera ammodytes ammodytes). I am using methods of site directed mutagenesis and protein expression in bacteria Escherichia coli in a form of fusions with peptides at the N-terminus. Purified mature mutants are determined the neurotoxicity on mice and enzymatic activities on micellar and vesicular neutral and negatively charged substrates. Affinity determinations of the mutants for high affinity binding proteins, R180, R25 and calmodulin are carried out using the inhibition of radioactively labelled ammodytoxin. AtxA also possesses strong anticoagulant activity. Interaction affinity of the AtxA mutants for the acceptor anticoagulant factor Xa is studied by system Biacore.

Bibliography: COBISS or PubMed

Participation in Current Research Projects: P1-0207: Research Programme “Toxins and Biomembranes” (Primary Investigator Prof. dr. Igor Križaj)

Teaching Positions: Teaching assistant trainee for biochemistry at the University of Ljubljana, 1998-2003 Teaching assistant for biochemistry at the University of Ljubljana, 2003-

Awards and Fellowships: "Prešeren" Award of the FCCT for students, 1998 Member of the Slovenian Biochemical Society