QBICLab – Liliana Quintanar´s BioInorganic Chemistry Lab at Cinvestav

Our research group focuses in the study of metal-protein interactions that are relevant in degenerative diseases

Research About Us

What we do

Spectroscopic studies of metal-protein interactions

Peptide and Protein purification

Recombinant protein expression

Spectroscopic analysis of biological coordination complexes

Peptide and Protein purification

Solid phase peptide synthesis

Recombinant protein expression

Our research group focuses on the study of metal-protein interactions that are relevant in neurodegenerative and degenerative diseases. We use an array of spectroscopic techniques to study metal ion binding to peptides that are prone to aggregation, such as β-amyloid peptide (involved in Alzheimer´s disease), α-synuclein (main protein component in Lewy bodies in Parkinson´s disease), prion protein fragments, amyllin (associated to diabetes type 2) and lens crystallin proteins (associated to cataract disease). Our group is interested in elucidating the coordination and redox chemistry associated to these metal-protein interactions, and in understanding how metal binding impacts local protein folding and aggregation propensity. Our research provides further insights into the biological inorganic chemistry of these degenerative diseases, paving the road towards the design of therapeutic strategies that target the role of metal ions in these pathologies.

Publications

A new Cu2+-binding 1,3-benzodioxole-containing N-Acylhydrazone protects Saccharomyces cerevisiae cells from oxidative stress

Marinho-Barbosa, B.; Pires, C.D.; Galvácsi, A.; Gaudard, A. J.; Flores, L. S.; Sánchez-López, C.; Correa, C. C.; Cukierman, D.S.; Hureau, C.; Kállay, C.; Pereira, M.D.; Quintanar, L.; Rey, N. A. “A new Cu2+-binding 1,3-benzodioxole-containing N-Acylhydrazone protects Saccharomyces cerevisiae cells from oxidative stress.” ChemistrySelect 2025, 10, e202405195. https://doi.org/10.1002/slct.202405195

A copper-binding peptide with therapeutic potential against Alzheimer´s disease: From the blood-brain barrier to metal competition

López-Guerrero, V.E.; Posadas, Y.; Sánchez-López, C.; Smart, A.; Miranda, J.; Singewald, K.; Bandala, Y.; Juaristi, E.; Den Auwer, C.; Perez-Cruz, C.; González-Mariscal, L.; Millhauser, G.; Segovia, J.; Quintanar, L. “A copper-binding peptide with therapeutic potential against Alzheimer´s disease: From the blood-brain barrier to metal competition” ACS Chemical Neuroscience 2025, 16, 241-261. https://doi.org/10.1021/acschemneuro.4c00796

In situ detection of ferric reductase activity in the intestinal lumen of an insect

Hernández-Gallardo, A.; Arcos-López, T.; Bahena-Lopez, J.; Tejeda-Guzmán, C.; Webb, S.M Kroll, T.; Solari, P.-L.; Sánchez-López, C.; den Auwer, C.; Quintanar, L.; Missirlis, F. “In situ detection of ferric reductase activity in the intestinal lumen of an insect.” J. Biol. Inorg. Chem. 2024, 29, 773-784. https://doi.org/10.1007/s00775-024-02080-y

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