Ulla Pentikäinen
FT, Dos
ulla.pentikainen@utu.fi +358 50 501 2574 Tykistökatu 6 Turku Office: 5090 ORCID identifier: https://orcid.org/0000-0001-6547-1282 |
Structural biology; X-ray crystallography; SAXS; protein-NMR; theoretical biophysics
I am structural biologists having a wide expertise in chemistry, biochemistry, protein chemistry, structural biology, and theoretical biophysics. I have gained this expertise by working in different research projects and groups both in Finland (University of Turku, University of Kuopio, University of Jyväskylä) and abroad (University of Bristol, UK, University of Illinois, USA). What I do not know yet, I can learn. I am interested in to understand how human diseases are developed at molecular level, what goes wrong at atomic, molecular, and protein level so that we got sick. This kind of research will help to develop new therapeutics towards different diseases, such various cancer types.
Why diseases are developed? What goes wrong at molecular level in our body so that we get sick? The aim of my group is to learn to understand the molecular and structural level the underlying mechanisms behind different human diseases. Currently, we are focused on 1) mitral valve disease caused by the mutations in a cytoskeletal protein Filamin, and 2) cancer types developed due to the inhibition of protein phosphates 2A by different proteins. In addition, we are interested in how mechanical forces are mediated and propagated in cells, crucial for tissue development and having important implications for various diseases such valvular diseases, osteoporosis, and cancer.
In our research, we employ various structural biology methods, such as X-ray crystallography, protein NMR-spectroscopy, SAXS, as well as different theoretical biophysical simulations including MD and SMD simulations.
- Wide teaching experience on biochemistry and chemistry
- Responsible teacher in various lecture- and laboratory courses both in Turku and Jyväskylä universities
- Responsible on study- and degree modules
- Teacher's pedagogic qualification
- University teacher's pedagogic qualification
- Molecular mechanism of T-cell protein tyrosine phosphatase (TCPTP) activation by mitoxantrone (2013)
- BBA - Biochimica et Biophysica Acta
(A1 Refereed original research article in a scientific journal) - Filamin's Force Sensing Mechanism Revealed by Optical Tweezers (2012)
- Biophysical Journal
(A4 Refereed article in a conference publication ) - The C-terminal rod 2 fragment of filamin A forms a compact structure that can be extended (2012) Ruskamo S, Gilbert R, Hofmann G, Jiang PJ, Campbell ID, Ylanne J, Pentikainen U
(A1 Refereed original research article in a scientific journal) - Assembly of a Filamin Four-domain Fragment and the Influence of Splicing Variant-1 on the Structure (2011)
- Journal of Biological Chemistry
(A1 Refereed original research article in a scientific journal) - Novel Hydrazine Molecules as Tools To Understand the Flexibility of Vascular Adhesion Protein-1 Ligand-Binding Site: Toward More Selective Inhibitors (2011)
- Journal of Medicinal Chemistry
(A1 Refereed original research article in a scientific journal) - Synthesis, in Vitro Activity, and Three-Dimensional Quantitative Structure-Activity Relationship of Novel Hydrazine Inhibitors of Human Vascular Adhesion Protein-1 (2010)
- Journal of Medicinal Chemistry
(A1 Refereed original research article in a scientific journal) - Lennard-Jones Parameters for B3LYP/CHARMM27 QM/MM Modeling of Nucleic Acid Bases (2009)
- Journal of Chemical Theory and Computation
(A1 Refereed original research article in a scientific journal) - The Regulation Mechanism for the Auto-Inhibition of Binding of Human Filamin A to Integrin (2009)
- Journal of Molecular Biology
(A1 Refereed original research article in a scientific journal) - Cooperative symmetric to asymmetric conformational transition of the apo-form of scavenger decapping enzyme revealed by simulations (2008)
- Proteins
(A1 Refereed original research article in a scientific journal) - Comment on "Molecular dynamics DFT : B3LYP study of guanosinetriphosphate conversion into guanosinemonophosphate upon Mg2+ chelation of alpha and beta phosphate oxygens of the triphosphate tail'' by Alexander A. Tulub, Phys. Chem. Chem. Phys., 2006, 8, 2187 (2006)
- Physical Chemistry Chemical Physics
(A2 Refereed review article in a scientific journal )



