Sandor Lovas, PhD

Professor

Biomedical Sciences

S Lovas

Contact

School of Medicine
Biomedical Sciences
Graduate School
Biomedical Sciences (Master of Science)
Biomedical Sciences (Doctorate)
CRISS II - Criss 2 - R.305

Sandor Lovas, PhD

Professor

Biomedical Sciences

Cancer Research Focus

My lab studies the conformation-biological activity relationships in peptides/proteins that inhibit cancer growth, such as cutaneous squamous cell carcinoma and glioblastoma. We also examine the description of solution structure of polypeptides by Molecular Dynamics simulations and vibrational and/or electronic circular dichroism spectropolarimetry and the effects of weakly polar interactions on peptide/protein structures.

Cancer Research Area(s)
  • Brain Cancer
  • Drug Discovery and Development
  • Skin Cancer

Teaching Interests

  • Biophysical Chemistry

Research Focus

Conformation-biological activity relationships in peptides/proteins including GnRH, gastrin, antibacterial peptides, amyloidogenic peptides and chlorotoxins. Structural characterization of prestin. Inhibtion of biological activity of 14-3-3e protein.  Description of solution structure of polypeptides by Molecular Dynamics simulations and ab initio quantum chemical calculations. Effects of weakly polar interactions on peptide/protein structures using the above theoretical methods and vibrational  and/or electronic circular dichroism spectroscopy.
 

Department

Biomedical Sciences

Position

Professor

Books

  • American Peptide Symposia
    Gembitsky Dmitry S., Modulation of NK-2 receptor associated G-protein signaling by alternation of the aromatic residue at position six in neurokinin A analogs.in Peptides for the New Millenium Fields [Book Chapter] 2019
  • Understanding Biology Using Peptides
    Herédi-Szabó Krisztina, Antiproliferative Effect of Lamprey Gonadotropin-Releasing Hormone III on Cancer Cells from Non-Reproductive Organs [Book Chapter] 2018
  • Lovas Sandor, Misfolding and Oligomerization of Amyloid Beta(1-40) 2015
  • Peptides: The Wave of the Future
    Ahmed Shawn I., Role of the C-terminal and Central Region of Gastrin for Recognition by the Human CCK2 Receptor [Book Chapter] 2001
  • Peptides: The Wave of the Future
    Tóth Gergely, Helix stabilizing aromatic-backbone interactions [Book Chapter] 2001
  • Peptides: The Wave of the Future
    Wibowo Felicitas I., Human colon cancers recognize N-carboxymethyl gastrin by a non-CCK1, non-CCK2 receptor [Book Chapter] 2001
  • Peptides: The Wave of the Future
    Otvos Laszlo, The Proline-rich antibacterial peptide family inhibits chaperone-assisted protein folding [Book Chapter] 2001
  • Lovas Sándor, Molecular Modeling of Neuropeptides - 18 [Book Chapter] 1997
  • Murnin Mark, Organ/Tissue Preparations for the Assessment of Agonist/Antagonist Activity - 30 [Book Chapter] 1997

Articles

  • Mezo I., Erratum 1998

Publications

  • Science advances
    Vijayakumar Sarath, In silico transcriptome screens identify epidermal growth factor receptor inhibitors as therapeutics for noise-induced hearing loss
    10:25, p. eadk2299 2024
  • International journal of molecular sciences
    Kamayirese Seraphine, The Development of CDC25A-Derived Phosphoseryl Peptides That Bind 14-3-3ε with High Affinities
    25:9, p. 4918 2024
  • ACS omega
    Kamayirese Seraphine, Optimizing Phosphopeptide Structures That Target 14-3-3ε in Cutaneous Squamous Cell Carcinoma 2024
  • The Journal of biological chemistry
    Rudd Justin C., Membrane structure and internalization dynamics of human Flower isoforms hFWE3 and hFWE4 indicate a conserved endocytic role for hFWE4, p. 104945 - 104945 2023
  • Burns William A, Dynamic Solvent Accessible Surface Areas of Proteogenic Amino Acids as a Function of Explored Phi,Psi Dihedral Angle Space 2023
  • The Journal of biological chemistry
    Rudd Justin, Abstract 1432: Structural determination and internalization dynamics of human Flower isoforms
    299:3, p. 103795 2023
  • Carcinogenesis
    Holmes Thomas R., Targeting 14-3-3ϵ activates apoptotic signaling to prevent cutaneous squamous cell carcinoma
    42:2, p. 232 - 242 2021
  • Oncotarget
    Holmes Thomas R., Targeting 14-3-3ε-CDC25A interactions to trigger apoptotic cell death in skin cancer
    11:35, p. 3267 - 3278 2020
  • International journal of molecular sciences
    Voit-Ostricki Leah, Conformation and domain movement analysis of human matrix metalloproteinase-2
    20:17 2019
  • Proteins
    Watts C. R., Structural Properties of Amyloid Beta(1-40) Dimer Explored by Replica Exchange Molecular Dynamics Simulations
    85:6, p. 1024 - 1045 2017
  • Protein and Peptide Letters
    Knappe D., Proline-Rich Antimicrobial Peptides Optimized for Binding to Escherichia Coli Chaperone DnaK
    23:12, p. 1061 - 1071 2016
  • Journal of Biological Chemistry
    Lovas Sandor, Glutamate Transporter Homolog-based Model Predicts That Anion-pi Interaction Is the Mechanism for the Voltage-dependent Response of Prestin
    290:40, p. 24326 - 24339 2015
  • Biopolymers
    Otvos L., Optimization of adiponectin-derived peptides for inhibition of cancer cell growth and signaling
    104:3, p. 155 - 166 2015
  • Frontiers in Chemistry
    Otvos Laszlo,Jr, Development of second generation peptides modulating cellular adiponectin receptor responses
    2, p. Article 93 (15 pages) 2014
  • Hearing Research
    He David Z. Z., Prestin at year 14: progress and prospect
    311, p. 25 - 35 2014
  • Current Pharmaceutical Design
    Hatfield Marcus P. D., Conformational sampling techniques
    20:20, p. 3303 - 3313 2014
  • Journal of Physical Chemistry. B
    Lovas Sandor, Molecular Mechanism of Misfolding and Aggregation of Amyloid Beta (13-23)
    117:20, p. 6175 - 6186 2013
  • Journal of Cell Science
    Tan Xiaodong, A motif of eleven amino acids is a structural adaptation that facilitates motor capability of eutherian prestin
    125:4, p. 1039 - 1047 2012
  • Journal of Peptide Science
    Palermo N. Y., Hexapeptide Fragment of Carcinoembryonic Antigen which Acts as an Agonist of Heterogeneous Ribonucleoprotein, p. 252 - 260 2012
  • Biopolymers
    Otvos Laszlo, Jr., Peptide-Based leptin Receptor Antagonists for Cancer Treatment and Appetite Regulation
    96:2, p. 117 - 125 2011
  • Journal of Physical Chemistry. B
    Hatfield M. P., The CLN025 decapeptide retains a β-hairpin conformation in urea and guanidinium chloride
    115:17, p. 4971 - 4981 2011
  • BMC biotechnology
    Otvos Laszlo, Design and development of a peptide-based adiponectin receptor agonist for cancer treatment.
    11, p. 90 2011
  • Biopolymers
    Hatfield M. P., VCD spectroscopic properties of the beta-hairpin forming miniprotein CLN025 in various solvents
    93:5, p. 442 - 450 2010
  • Peptides
    Copps Jeffrey, Bioactivity of analogs of the N-terminal region of gastrin-17
    30:12, p. 2263 - 2267 2009
  • Peptides
    Copps Jeffrey, The structure of bioactive analogs of the N-terminal region of gastrin-17
    30:12, p. 2250 - 2262 2009
  • Advances in experimental medicine and biology
    Palermo Nicholas Y., The impact of aromatic residues on the tertiary fold of avian pancreatic polypeptide.
    611, p. 89 - 90 2009
  • Biopolymers
    Csontos Jozsef, The role of weakly polar and H-bonding interactions in the stabilization of the conformers of FGG, WGG, and YGG: An aqueous phase computational study
    89:11, p. 1002 - 1011 2008
  • Journal of Computational Chemistry
    Komáromi István, Development of glycyl radical parameters for the OPLS-AA/L force field
    29:12, p. 1999 - 2009 2008
  • Journal of Computational Chemistry
    Csontos J., The effect of electron correlation on the conformational space of melatonin
    29:9, p. 1466 - 1471 2008
  • International Journal of Quantum Chemistry
    Palermo N. Y., Role of aromatic residues in stabilizing the secondary and tertiary structure of avian pancreatic polypeptide
    108:4, p. 814 - 819 2008
  • Methods in Molecular Biology
    Copps J., Molecular dynamics simulations of peptides
    494, p. 115 - 126 2008
  • J.Comput.Chem.
    Csontos J., Calculation of weakly polar interaction energies in polypeptides using density functional and local Moller-Plesset perturbation theory
    29:8, p. 1344 - 1352 2008
  • International Journal of Peptide Research and Therapeutics
    Ötvös Ferenc, Synthesis and structure-activity relationship of [Nle10] neurokinin A (4-10) analogs with constraint in the backbone and at position six
    13:1-2, p. 329 - 336 2007
  • Journal of Computational Chemistry
    Palermo N. Y., Aromatic-backbone interactions in model alpha-helical peptides
    28:7, p. 1208 - 1214 2007
  • Protein and Peptide Letters
    Borics Attila, Conformational analysis of Ac-NPGQ-NH2 and Ac-VPaH-NH 2 by vibrational circular dichroism spectroscopy combined with molecular dynamics and quantum chemical calculations
    14:4, p. 353 - 359 2007
  • Peptides
    Copps Jeffrey, Gastrin 1-6 promotes growth of colon cancer cells through non-CCK receptors
    28:3, p. 632 - 635 2007
  • Peptides
    Copps J., Gastrin 1-6 promotes growth of colon cancer cells through non-CCK receptors
    28:3, p. 632 - 635 2007
  • Biopolymers
    Borics A., Optical spectroscopic elucidation of beta-turns in disulfide bridged cyclic tetrapeptides
    85:1, p. 1 - 11 2007
  • Biopolymers
    Copps Jeffrey D., VCD spectroscopic and molecular dynamics analysis of the Trp-cage miniprotein TC5b
    88:3, p. 427 - 437 2007
  • Journal of Peptide Science
    Heredi-Szabo K., Is IGnRH-III the most potent GnRH analog containing only natural amino acids that specifically inhibits the growth of human breast cancer cells?
    12:11, p. 714 - 720 2006
  • Owen M., The conformational preference of Ca-centered protein radicals. 2006
  • Biopolymers
    Borics A., Optical spectroscopic elucidation of different types of b-turns in disulfide bridged cyclic tetrapeptides 2006
  • Biopolymers
    Copps J., Avian pancreatic polypeptide fragments refold to native aPP conformation when combined in solution: A CD and VCD study
    83, p. 32 - 38 2006
  • Peptides
    Ahmed Shawn, Importance of N- and C-terminal regions of gastrin-Gly for preferential binding to high and low affinity gastrin-Gly receptors
    26:7, p. 1207 - 1212 2005
  • Peptides
    Ahmed S., Importance of N- and C-terminal regions of gastrin-Gly for preferential binding to high and low affinity gastrin-Gly receptors
    26:7, p. 1207 - 1212 2005
  • Journal of Physical Chemistry A
    Chass Gregory A., Characterization of the conformational probability of N-acetyl- Phenylalanyl-NH 2 by RHF, DFT, and MP2 computation and AIM analyses, confirmed by jet-cooled infrared data
    109:24, p. 5289 - 5302 2005
  • Peptides
    Herédi-Szabó Krisztina, Importance of the central region of lamprey gonadotropin-releasing hormone III in the inhibition of breast cancer cell growth
    26:3, p. 419 - 422 2005
  • FEBS Letters
    Ahmed Shawn, High and low affinity receptors mediate growth effects of gastrin and gastrin-Gly on DLD-1 human colonic carcinoma cells
    556:1-3, p. 199 - 203 2004
  • FEBS Letters
    Ahmed Shawn I., High and low affinity receptors mediate growth effects of gastrin and gastrin-Gly on DLD-1 human colonic carcinoma cells
    556:3-Jan, p. 199 - 203 2004
  • Journal of Molecular Structure: THEOCHEM
    Sahai Michelle A., A modular numbering system of selected oligopeptides for molecular computations
    666-667, p. 169 - 218 2003
  • Journal of Molecular Structure: THEOCHEM
    Lau Suzanne K., An exploratory ab initio conformational analysis of selected fragments of nicotinamide adenine dinucleotide (NAD+). Part I
    666-667, p. 415 - 429 2003
  • Journal of Molecular Structure. Theochem
    Sahai Michelle A., A modular numbering system of selected oligopeptides for molecular computations: using pre-computed amino acid building blocks
    666-667, p. 169 - 218 2003
  • Journal of Physical Chemistry B
    Bhattacharjee Samita, Influence of tyrosine on the electronic circular dichroism of helical peptides
    107:33, p. 8682 - 8688 2003
  • The Journal of Physical Chemistry B
    Bhattacharjee Samita, Influence of Tyrosine on the Electronic Circular Dichroism of Helical Peptides
    107:33, p. 8682 - 8688 2003
  • Journal of Physical Chemistry. B
    Bhattacharjee S., Influence of Tyrosine on the Electronic Circular Dichroism of Helical Peptides
    107:33, p. 8682 - 8688 2003
  • Biopolymers
    Borics Attila, Fourier transform vibrational circular dichroism as a decisive tool for conformational studies of peptides containing tyrosyl residues
    72:1, p. 21 - 24 2003
  • Journal of the Chemical Society. Perkin Transactions 2
    Keglevich György, Structure and stability of oxaphosphetes formed as intermediates in the reaction of tertiary phosphine oxides and acetylenic derivatives
    2:10, p. 1645 - 1646 2002
  • European Journal of Biochemistry
    Kragol G., Identification of crucial residues for the antibacterial activity of the proline-rich peptide, pyrrhocoricin
    269:17, p. 4226 - 4237 2002
  • European Journal of Biochemistry
    Kragol Goran, Identification of crucial residues for the antibacterial activity of the proline-rich peptide, pyrrhocoricin
    269:17, p. 4226 - 4237 2002
  • Journal of the American Chemical Society
    Toth Gergely, Investigation of aromatic-backbone amide interactions in the model peptide acetyl-phe-gly-gly-N-methyl amide using molecular dynamics simulations and protein database search
    123:47, p. 11782 - 11790 2001
  • Journal of the American Chemical Society
    Tóth G., Investigation of aromatic-backbone amide interactions in the model peptide Acetyl-Phe-Gly-Gly-N-Methyl amide using molecular dynamics simulations and protein database search
    123:47, p. 11782 - 11790 2001
  • The journal of peptide research : official journal of the American Peptide Society
    Ahmed S I, Importance of the C-terminal Phenylalanine of Gastrin for Binding to the Human CCK2 Receptor
    58:4, p. 332 - 337 2001
  • Protein Engineering
    Toth Gergely, Stabilization of local structures by pi-CH and aromatic-backbone amide interactions involving prolyl and aromatic residues
    14:8, p. 543 - 547 2001
  • Journal of Molecular Structure: THEOCHEM
    Körtvélyesi Tamás, Effect of Ala-substitution, N- and C-terminal modification and the presence of counter ions on the structure of amyloid peptide fragment 25-35
    545:1-3, p. 215 - 223 2001
  • Journal of Biomolecular Structure & Dynamics
    Watts Charles R., Conformational space comparison of GnRH and IGnRH-III using molecular dynamics, cluster analysis and Monte Carlo thermodynamic integration
    18:5, p. 733 - 748 2001
  • British Journal of Cancer
    Murphy Richard F., Pancreatic cancer cells require an EGF receptor-mediated autocrine pathway for proliferation in serum-free conditions
    84:7, p. 926 - 935 2001
  • Biochemistry
    Kragol G., The antibacterial peptide pyrrhocoricin inhibits the ATPase actions of DnaK and prevents chaperone-assisted protein folding
    40:10, p. 3016 - 3026 2001
  • Biochemistry
    Kragol G., The antibacterial peptide pyrrhocoricin inhibits the ATPase actions of DnaK and prevents chaperone-assisted protein folding
    40:10, p. 3016 - 3026 2001
  • Journal of Biomolecular Structure and Dynamics
    Watts Charles R., Conformational space comparison of GnRH and lGnRH-III using molecular dynamics, cluster analysis and Monte Carlo thermodynamic integration
    18:5, p. 733 - 748 2001
  • Protein Engineering
    Tóth G., Stabilization of local structures by π-CH and aromatic-backbone amide interactions involving prolyl and aromatic residues
    14:8, p. 543 - 547 2001
  • Drugs of the Future
    Pályi I., GnRH analog conjugates with high anticancer selectivity
    26:1, p. 51 - 59 2001
  • Letters in Peptide Science
    Bozso Z., Difficulties in coupling to conformationally constrained aromatic amino acids
    7:3, p. 157 - 163 2000
  • Biochemistry
    Otvos L., Interaction between heat shock proteins and antimicrobial peptides
    39:46, p. 14150 - 14159 2000
  • Cell Proliferation
    Kalnay A., Influence on antiproliferative activity of structural modification and conjugation of gonadotropin-releasing hormone (GnRH) analogues
    33:5, p. 275 - 285 2000
  • Journal of Medicinal Chemistry
    Gembitsky Dmitry S., Importance of the aromatic residue at position 6 of [Nle10]neurokinin A(4-10) for binding to the NK-2 receptor and receptor activation
    42:15, p. 3004 - 3007 1999
  • Proceedings of the National Academy of Sciences of the United States of America
    Pályi I., Gonadotropin-releasing hormone analogue conjugates with strong selective antitumor activity
    96:5, p. 2361 - 2366 1999
  • Journal of Peptide Research
    Ötvös F., Coupling difficulty following replacement of Tyr with HOTic during synthesis of an analog of an EGF B-loop fragment
    53:3, p. 302 - 307 1999
  • Proteins: Structure, Function and Genetics
    Watts Charles R., Molecular dynamics simulations of epidermal growth factor and transforming growth factor-α structures in water
    33:3, p. 396 - 407 1998
  • Journal of Peptide Research
    Lovas Sándor, Direct anticancer activity of gonadotropin-releasing hormone-III
    52:5, p. 384 - 389 1998
  • Methods in molecular biology (Clifton, N.J.)
    Tóth G., Tritium labeling of neuropeptides.
    73, p. 219 - 230 1997
  • Methods in molecular biology (Clifton, N.J.)
    Lovas S., Molecular modeling of neuropeptides.
    73, p. 209 - 217 1997
  • Methods in molecular biology (Clifton, N.J.)
    Murnin M., Organ/tissue preparations for the assessment of agonist/antagonist activity.
    73, p. 343 - 352 1997
  • Helvetica Chimica Acta
    Ötvös Ferenc, 13. Synthesis and tritium labelling of 6β-amino-4,5α-epoxyraorphinans and their 14-hydroxy derivatives as potential affinity labelling probes with μ opioid agonist activity
    79:1, p. 133 - 136 1996
  • European Journal of Biochemistry
    Szendrei Gyorgyi I., Aspartate‐Bond Isomerization Affects the Major Conformations of Synthetic Peptides
    226:3, p. 917 - 924 1994
  • Journal of Molecular Structure
    Lovas Sándor, Solvated structure analysis of a conformationally restricted analogue of phenylalanine in a dipeptide model by the AM1-SM2 method
    311, p. 297 - 304 1994
  • Journal of Molecular Structure: THEOCHEM
    Lovas Sándor, Solvated structure analysis of a conformationally restricted analogue of phenylalanine in a dipeptide model by the AM1-SM2 method
    311, p. 297 - 304 1994
  • Biochemical Society Transactions
    Lovas S., Structure-activity relationships of para-substituted Phe analogues of [Nle10]NKA(4-10)
    22:1, p. 5S 1994
  • Peptides
    Badgery-Parker Tim, Receptor binding profile of neuropeptide γ and its fragments
    14:4, p. 771 - 775 1993
  • Journal of Molecular Structure. Theochem
    Borics Attila, The benefits of a pre-computed amino acid structure database in quantum chemical geometry optimizations of β-turns of peptides
    666-667:0, p. 355 - 359 -0001

Federal

  • NSF-EPSCoR Major Research Research Instrumentation Program:
    High-Performance Computing Cluster for Biomolecular Calculations

  • NSF-EPSCoR Major Research Research Instrumentation Program,
    Project title: A high-throughput multi-user Biacore surface plasmon resonance system for studying biomolecular and biochemical interactions.

Other

  • NSF-EPSCoR Major Research Research Instrumentation Program:
    High-Performance Computing Cluster for Biomolecular Calculations

State

  • LB595 Program; Project Title: Molecular Mechanisms and Novel Targets in Cancer. Project PI: Novel therapeutic targets for nonmelanoma skin cancer Dates: 7/1/14-6/30/19; Role: collaborator