Researchers
Mary Prorok, Ph.D.
Research Associate Professor, Department of Chemistry and Biochemistry
Contact Information
- Office: 371 Stepan Chemistry Hall
- Email: mprorok@nd.edu
- Phone: (574) 631-9120
Biography
Dr. Prorok received her B.S. degree, magna cum laude, in medicinal chemistry in 1982 and her Ph.D. in chemistry in 1990, both from the State University of New York at Buffalo. She conducted postdoctoral research at Brandeis University from 1990 to 1993 as a National Institutes of Health postdoctoral fellow and at the University of Notre Dame from 1994 to 1997 as an American Heart Association postdoctoral fellow, before joining the faculty of the University of Notre Dame in 1998. Dr. Prorok was the recipient of the American Heart Association Scientist Development Grant. She is the author of over 40 scientific publications.
Research Interests
Dr. Prorok's research focuses on structure-function relationships in neuroactive peptides that target the N-methyl-D-aspartate receptor and in proteins involved in hemostasis and fibrinolysis. Her other research interests include diagnostic proteomics and mechanisms of angiogenesis.
Publications
Busquets L, Guillen H, DeFord ME, Suckow MA, Navari RE, Castellino FJ, Prorok M. Cathepsin E is a specific marker of dysplasia in APCMin/+ mouse intestine. Tumour Biol 2005, in press.
Dai Q, Prorok M, Castellino FJ. Role of the hexapeptide disulfide loop in the gamma-carboxyglutamic acid domain of protein C in Ca2+-mediated structural and functional properties. Biochemistry 2005; 44: 12508-12514. link
Yang R, Prorok M, Castellino FJ, Weliky DP. A trimeric HIV-1 fusion peptide construct which does not self-associate in aqueous solution and which has fifteen-fold higher membrane fusion rate. J Am Chem Soc 2004; 126: 14722-14723. link
Dai Q, Castellino FJ, Prorok M. A Single Amino Acid Replacement Results in the Ca2+-induced Self-assembly of a Helical Conantokin-based Peptide. Biochemistry 2004; 43: 13225-13232. link
Yang J, Prorok M, Castellino FJ, Weliky DP. Oligomeric beta structure of the membrane-bound HIV-1 fusion peptide formed from soluble monomers. Biophys J 2004; 87: 1951-1963. link
Dai Q, Prorok M, Castellino FJ. A new mechanism for metal ion-assisted interchain helix assembly in a naturally-occurring peptide mediated by optimally spaced gamma-carboxyglutamic acid residues. J Mol Biol 2004; 336: 731-744. link
