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STRUCTURAL
BIOLOGY
RELATED GROUPS
Clemons Group | Jensen Group
Mayo
Group | Rees Group
Protein Expression Center | PPMAL
Sequence and Structure Analysis
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Macromolecular X-Ray Facility
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Caltech | HHMI
Biological Imaging Center
Molecular Observatory
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Caltech DIRECTORY
Howard
Hughes Medical Institute
Division of Biology, 114-96
California Institute of Technology
1200 E. California Blvd.
Pasadena, CA 91125
(626) 395-8351 phone
626) 792-3683 fax
murphym [at] caltech dot edu
Our laboratory is interested in protein-protein interactions, particularly those mediating immune recognition. We use X-ray crystallography and biochemistry to study purified proteins, and electron and confocal microscopy to examine protein complexes in cells. Some of our work focuses upon homologs and mimics of class I major histocompatibility complex (MHC) proteins, which normally function in peptide presentation to T cells. MHC homologs have similar three-dimensional structures, but different functions including immune functions (IgG transport by the neonatal Fc receptor, FcRn; evasion of the immune response by viral MHC mimics), and non-immune functions (regulation of iron or lipid metabolism by HFE and ZAG). We focus on three interrelated areas: (1) structure/function studies of homologs and mimics of MHC proteins; (2) cell biological studies of antibody receptors, for example, the MHC-related neonatal Fc receptor; and (3) designing antibodies with increased efficacy against HIV.
