Faculty Profiles

Katherine J. Franz
Katherine J. Franz
Chair of the Department of Chemistry
Office: 
2103 French Science Center, 124 Science Drive, Durham, NC 27708
Phone: 
(919) 660-1541
katherine.franz@duke.edu
Franz Research Group
Research Interests: 

Research in the Franz group is involved in elucidating the structural and functional consequences of metal ion coordination in biological systems. We are particularly interested in understanding the coordination chemistry utilized by biology to manage essential yet toxic species like copper and iron. Understanding these principles further guides our development of new chemical tools to manipulate biological metal ion location, speciation, and reactivity for potential therapeutic benefit. We use a combination of synthesis, spectroscopy, and biochemistry in our work. Please visit our group website to learn more about our research.

Overview

Education:

Ph.D., Massachusetts Institute of Technology 2000

B.A., Wellesley College 1995

Research Areas:
Biomolecular Structure and Function, Inorganic

Wang, Qin, and Katherine J. Franz. “The hydrolytic susceptibility of prochelator BSIH in aqueous solutions.” Bioorganic & Medicinal Chemistry Letters, vol. 27, no. 17, Sept. 2017, pp. 4165–70. Epmc, doi:10.1016/j.bmcl.2017.07.019. Full Text

Conklin, Steven E., et al. “Specific Histidine Residues Confer Histatin Peptides with Copper-Dependent Activity against Candida albicans.” Biochemistry, vol. 56, no. 32, Aug. 2017, pp. 4244–55. Epmc, doi:10.1021/acs.biochem.7b00348. Full Text Open Access Copy

Helsel, Marian E., et al. “Chemical and functional properties of metal chelators that mobilize copper to elicit fungal killing of Cryptococcus neoformans.” Metallomics : Integrated Biometal Science, vol. 9, no. 1, Jan. 2017, pp. 69–81. Epmc, doi:10.1039/c6mt00172f. Full Text

Wang, Qin, and Katherine J. Franz. “Stimulus-Responsive Prochelators for Manipulating Cellular Metals.” Accounts of Chemical Research, vol. 49, no. 11, Nov. 2016, pp. 2468–77. Epmc, doi:10.1021/acs.accounts.6b00380. Full Text

Sansee, A., et al. “Novel aminoalkyl tris-cyclometalated iridium complexes as cellular stains.” Dalton Transactions (Cambridge, England : 2003), vol. 45, no. 43, Nov. 2016, pp. 17420–30. Epmc, doi:10.1039/c6dt02776h. Full Text

Hašková, Pavlína, et al. “Cardioprotective effects of iron chelator HAPI and ROS-activated boronate prochelator BHAPI against catecholamine-induced oxidative cellular injury.” Toxicology, vol. 371, Sept. 2016, pp. 17–28. Epmc, doi:10.1016/j.tox.2016.10.004. Full Text

Jansová, Hana, et al. “Characterization of cytoprotective and toxic properties of iron chelator SIH, prochelator BSIH and their degradation products.” Toxicology, vol. 350–352, Mar. 2016, pp. 15–24. Epmc, doi:10.1016/j.tox.2016.03.004. Full Text

Franks, Andrew T., et al. “A multifunctional, light-activated prochelator inhibits UVA-induced oxidative stress.” Bioorganic & Medicinal Chemistry Letters, vol. 25, no. 21, Nov. 2015, pp. 4843–47. Epmc, doi:10.1016/j.bmcl.2015.06.048. Full Text

Pushie, M. Jake, et al. “Model Peptide Studies Reveal a Mixed Histidine-Methionine Cu(I) Binding Site at the N-Terminus of Human Copper Transporter 1.” Inorganic Chemistry, vol. 54, no. 17, Sept. 2015, pp. 8544–51. Epmc, doi:10.1021/acs.inorgchem.5b01162. Full Text

Alies, Bruno, et al. “A prochelator peptide designed to use heterometallic cooperativity to enhance metal ion affinity.” Chemical Science, vol. 6, no. 6, June 2015, pp. 3606–10. Epmc, doi:10.1039/c5sc00602c. Full Text

Pages

Rubino, Jeffrey T., and Katherine J. Franz. “Characterization of thioether-only Cu(I) binding by Ctr1 methionine motifs.” Abstracts of Papers of the American Chemical Society, vol. 238, AMER CHEMICAL SOC, 2009.

Dickens, Marina G., et al. “Synthesis of masked bidentate and hexadentate iron chelators designed to reduce oxidative stress.” Abstracts of Papers of the American Chemical Society, vol. 238, AMER CHEMICAL SOC, 2009.

Haas, Kathryn L., et al. “Spectroscopic studies of N-terminal Cu(II)- and Cu(I)-binding hCtrl model peptides.” Abstracts of Papers of the American Chemical Society, vol. 238, AMER CHEMICAL SOC, 2009.

Franz, Katherine J. “Design of triggerable ligands for altering metal coordination in biological settings.” Abstracts of Papers of the American Chemical Society, vol. 238, AMER CHEMICAL SOC, 2009.

Ciesienski, Katie L., et al. “Photolabile ligand for light-activated release of caged copper.” Abstracts of Papers of the American Chemical Society, vol. 237, AMER CHEMICAL SOC, 2009.

Hunt, Lynne M., and Kathenine J. Franz. “INOR 273-Development of prochelators as probes of iron-induced oxidative stress.” Abstracts of Papers of the American Chemical Society, vol. 235, AMER CHEMICAL SOC, 2008.

Crider, Sarah E., and Katherine J. Franz. “INOR 277-Interactions of cisplatin and methionine-rich peptide domains of the human high-affinity copper transporter Ctr1.” Abstracts of Papers of the American Chemical Society, vol. 235, AMER CHEMICAL SOC, 2008.

Franz, Katherine J., and Louise K. Charkoudian. “INOR 916-A pro-chelator strategy for inhibiting metal-catalyzed oxidative stress.” Abstracts of Papers of the American Chemical Society, vol. 234, AMER CHEMICAL SOC, 2007.

Charkoudian, Louise K., and Katherine J. Franz. “INOR 614-Development of iron chelators triggered by reactive oxygen species.” Abstracts of Papers of the American Chemical Society, vol. 232, AMER CHEMICAL SOC, 2006.

Franz, Katherine J., et al. “INOR 1011-Copper(I) binding by methionine-rich domains of copper transport proteins.” Abstracts of Papers of the American Chemical Society, vol. 232, AMER CHEMICAL SOC, 2006.

Pages