Faculty Profiles

Alvin L. Crumbliss
Alvin L. Crumbliss
University Distinguished Service Professor Emeritus
Office: 
2104 French Family Science Center, Box 90346, Durham, NC 27708-0354
Phone: 
(919) 660-1540
alvin.crumbliss@duke.edu
http://sites.duke.edu/crumbliss/
Research Interests: 

Dr. Crumbliss is interested in the function, reactivity and control of transition metals in biological systems. A major emphasis is investigations related to the biochemistry of iron. Through application of in vitro and ex vivo biophysical techniques the Crumbliss group is investigating iron trafficking mediated by proteins and low molecular weight iron carriers (siderophores) in bacterial and mammalian cells. This research is relevant to understanding iron bioavailability, oxidative stress, and the relationship between iron and human health and disease. The redox behavior of various native, mutant and engineered hemoglobins is also under investigation with respect to their role in oxidative stress, signaling and cooperative oxygen transport, and potential application as cell free blood substitutes.

Overview

Education:

Ph.D., Northwestern University 1968

B.A., Knox College 1964

Research Areas:
Biomolecular Structure and Function, Biological, Inorganic

Weaver, Katherine D., et al. “Role of citrate and phosphate anions in the mechanism of iron(III) sequestration by ferric binding protein: kinetic studies of the formation of the holoprotein of wild-type FbpA and its engineered mutants..” Biochemistry, vol. 49, no. 29, July 2010, pp. 6021–32. Epmc, doi:10.1021/bi902231c. Full Text Open Access Copy

Heymann, Jared J., et al. “Kinetics and mechanism of exogenous anion exchange in FeFbpA-NTA: significance of periplasmic anion lability and anion binding activity of ferric binding protein A..” Journal of Biological Inorganic Chemistry : Jbic : A Publication of the Society of Biological Inorganic Chemistry, vol. 15, no. 2, Feb. 2010, pp. 237–48. Epmc, doi:10.1007/s00775-009-0589-2. Full Text

Harrington, James M., and Alvin L. Crumbliss. “The redox hypothesis in siderophore-mediated iron uptake..” Biometals : An International Journal on the Role of Metal Ions in Biology, Biochemistry, and Medicine, vol. 22, no. 4, Aug. 2009, pp. 679–89. Epmc, doi:10.1007/s10534-009-9233-4. Full Text

Crumbliss, A. L., and J. M. Harrington. “Iron sequestration by small molecules: Thermodynamic and kinetic studies of natural siderophores and synthetic model compounds.” Advances in Inorganic Chemistry, vol. 61, July 2009, pp. 179–250. Scopus, doi:10.1016/S0898-8838(09)00204-9. Full Text

Tristani, E. M., et al. “Characterization of second coordination shell ionophore-siderophore host-guest assemblies and binding selectivities in binary and complex mixtures by electrospray ionization mass spectrometry.” Journal of Inclusion Phenomena and Macrocyclic Chemistry, vol. 64, no. 1–2, June 2009, pp. 57–65. Scopus, doi:10.1007/s10847-009-9536-7. Full Text

Siburt, Claire J. Parker, et al. “Hijacking transferrin bound iron: protein-receptor interactions involved in iron transport in N. gonorrhoeae..” Metallomics : Integrated Biometal Science, vol. 1, no. 3, Jan. 2009, pp. 249–55. Epmc, doi:10.1039/b902860a. Full Text

Weaver, Katherine D., et al. “Ga3+ as a mechanistic probe in Fe3+ transport: characterization of Ga3+ interaction with FbpA..” Journal of Biological Inorganic Chemistry : Jbic : A Publication of the Society of Biological Inorganic Chemistry, vol. 13, no. 6, Aug. 2008, pp. 887–98. Epmc, doi:10.1007/s00775-008-0376-5. Full Text

Flaherty, Meghan M., et al. “An investigation of hemopexin redox properties by spectroelectrochemistry: biological relevance for heme uptake..” Biometals : An International Journal on the Role of Metal Ions in Biology, Biochemistry, and Medicine, vol. 21, no. 3, June 2008, pp. 239–48. Epmc, doi:10.1007/s10534-007-9112-9. Full Text

Roulhac, Petra L., et al. “Ex vivo analysis of synergistic anion binding to FbpA in Gram-negative bacteria..” Biochemistry, vol. 47, no. 14, Apr. 2008, pp. 4298–305. Epmc, doi:10.1021/bi701188x. Full Text

Mies, Kassy A., et al. “Synthesis, siderophore activity and iron(III) chelation chemistry of a novel mono-hydroxamate, bis-catecholate siderophore mimic: N(alpha),-N(epsilon)-Bis[2,3-dihydroxybenzoyl]-l-lysyl-(gamma-N-methyl-N-hydroxyamido)-L-glutamic acid..” Journal of Inorganic Biochemistry, vol. 102, no. 4, Apr. 2008, pp. 850–61. Epmc, doi:10.1016/j.jinorgbio.2007.11.021. Full Text

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