Global Literacy Brings the World Closer
The University of Kentucky Department of Modern and Classical Languages, Literatures and Cultures (MCLLC) in the College of Arts and Sciences is changing how we think of language studies.
It's Time to Register for Classes
The Summer/Fall 2015 priority registration period is now open and continues through Tuesday, April 21.
Chemistry Department Seminar
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Dr. David Sept will be presenting a seminar titled Structure/Function Studies on Ion Channels and New Models for Ions. Refreshments will be provided at this event.
Abstract: Voltage and Ca2+ activated BK channels modulate neuronal activities. Previous studies found that the Ca2+ binding sites and the activation gate are spatially separated, but exactly how Ca2+ binding couples to gate opening is not clear. We address this question by studying how a mutation in BK channels, which is associated with generalized epilepsy and paroxysmal dyskinesia, enhances Ca2+ sensitivity. This epilepsy mutation is located in a structural domain (the AC region) that is close to a putative Ca2+ binding site, and mutagenesis studies show that the AC region is important in the coupling between Ca2+ binding and gate opening. Through a combination of experimental and computational studies, we find the epilepsy mutation enhances Ca2+ sensitivity by an allosteric mechanism affecting the coupling between Ca2+ binding and gate opening.
Our efforts to determine the details of the Ca2+-bound structure of the AC region took an unexpected turn that required us to develop a new model for divalent cations. Current ion models in molecular mechanics are simple spheres, and their interactions are solely determined from the radius of the sphere and the total charge. This set of parameters is chosen to closely reproduce the hydration free energy for the ion, but this exercise uses all the available degrees of freedom and our ability to reproduce the binding free energy to a protein or other thermodynamic quantities is therefore limited. In our new model we distribute the total charge of the ion into n-dummy centers that are placed in the direction of the coordinating atoms. We have parameterized this model for two divalent cations, Ca2+ and Mg2+, and have tested the model’s accuracy in a variety of simulations. With this model we are not only able to correctly predict the free energy and selectivity for cation binding sites in both proteins and nucleic acids, but we achieve better coordination geometries and can capture more subtle effects such as the exchange of inner shell waters. One further advantage of this model is that it does not use higher-order electrostatics and thus can be easily used with standard force fields.
Faculty Host: Dr. Pete Kekenes-Huskey
Date:
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Location:
CP-114A/B
'Adopt-a-Spot' to Keep Campus Clean
A beautiful campus and a litter-free campus go hand-in-hand, and groups at the University of Kentucky will be able to care for their own piece of Wildcat country during the month of April.
Pearl James to Deliver Chellgren Lecture: Hollywood's Great War
Pearl James, associate professor in the University of Kentucky Department of English, will deliver the first lecture of this semester's Chellgren Seminar Series.
The Lady in the Portrait: A Remembrance
Since 1972, several generations of faculty members and students have gathered for meetings and examinations around the conference table in Patterson Office Tower 1145 under the imposing gaze of a lady whose portrait once dominated the room. The Lady in the Portrait, Dr. Alberta Wilson Server, entered UK as an undergraduate in 1916.
Jacob Welch Receives The XXXIX National Lambda Alpha Scholarship Award
In the fall of 2014, I will begin doctoral studies in anthropology at Yale University. This ambition to further advance my education in archaeology was forged while completing my baccalaureate degree at the University of Kentucky.
MCL 200: Reading the World
The Department of Modern and Classical Languages, Literatures & Cultures is changing how we think of language studies. Since the recent merger of separate language units into a single entity, the 44-member department has set its sights on becoming a more cohesive intellectual community with a unified teaching and research mission.
A Conversation with Dr. James May Jr.
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Dr. James W. May Jr (Chemistry '65) will be available to talk with students about several topics, including: his path to becoming a surgeon, the value of a science degree, how to get into medical school, and a career in medicine at a major research institution.
All interested students are welcome. Refreshments will be served at this event.
Co-sponsored by the College of Arts & Sciences and the Department of Chemistry
Date:
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Location:
CP-114A/B