Christine Dunham PhD

Academics
Professor

Emory University School of Medicine
Department of Biochemistry
1510 Clifton Rd., 4027 Rollins Research Center

Overview

Ribosome function and structure; mechanism of viral mRNA frameshifts; structure and function of RNA-binding proteins involved in mRNA processing and transport

Academic Appointment

Professor, Biochemistry, Emory University School of Medicine
Associate Professor, Biochemistry, Emory University School of Medicine
Associated Faculty, Chemistry, Emory University
Assistant Professor, Biochemistry, Emory University School of Medicine

Education

Degrees

PhD, Structural Biology from University of California, Santa Cruz
BA, Biochemistry from Barnard College, Columbia University

Research

Focus

The long-term goal of my laboratory is to determine the molecular basis for quality control mechanisms and regulatory processes mediated by proteins and/or RNA ligands during translation. We use a combination of state-of-the-art structural biology, biochemical and biophysical techniques to answer key questions of RNA-protein recognition and catalysis of the bacterial ribosome.

Publications

Regulation, structure, and activity of the Pseudomonas aeruginosa MexXY efflux system.
Antimicrob Agents Chemother Volume: 69 Page(s): e0182524
04/07/2025 Authors: Kavanaugh LG; Hinrichsen ME; Dunham CM; Conn GL
DISTANT RIBOSE 2'-O-METHYLATION OF 23S rRNA HELIX 69 PRE-ORDERS THE CAPREOMYCIN DRUG BINDING POCKET AT THE RIBOSOME SUBUNIT INTERFACE.

11/05/2024 Authors: Nandi S; Dey D; Srinivas P; Dunham CM; Conn GL
Structural analysis of noncanonical translation initiation complexes.
J Biol Chem Volume: 300 Page(s): 107743
10/01/2024 Authors: Mattingly JM; Nguyen HA; Roy B; Fredrick K; Dunham CM
N1-Methylpseudouridine and pseudouridine modifications modulate mRNA decoding during translation.
Nat Commun Volume: 15 Page(s): 8119
09/16/2024 Authors: Monroe J; Eyler DE; Mitchell L; Deb I; Bojanowski A; Srinivas P; Dunham CM; Roy B; Frank AT; Koutmou KS
Antibiotic that inhibits trans-translation blocks binding of EF-Tu to tmRNA but not to tRNA.
mBio Volume: 14 Page(s): e0146123
10/31/2023 Authors: Marathe N; Nguyen HA; Alumasa JN; Kuzmishin Nagy AB; Vazquez M; Dunham CM; Keiler KC
30S subunit recognition and G1405 modification by the aminoglycoside-resistance 16S ribosomal RNA methyltransferase RmtC.
Proc Natl Acad Sci U S A Volume: 120 Page(s): e2304128120
06/20/2023 Authors: Srinivas P; Nosrati M; Zelinskaya N; Dey D; Comstock LR; Dunham CM; Conn GL
30S subunit recognition and G1405 modification by the aminoglycoside-resistance 16S ribosomal RNA methyltransferase RmtC.
bioRxiv
04/30/2023 Authors: Srinivas P; Nosrati M; Zelinskaya N; Dey D; Comstock LR; Dunham CM; Conn GL
Structural basis for reduced ribosomal A-site fidelity in response to P-site codon-anticodon mismatches.
J Biol Chem Volume: 299 Page(s): 104608
04/01/2023 Authors: Nguyen HA; Hoffer ED; Fagan CE; Maehigashi T; Dunham CM
Structural basis for reduced ribosomal A-site fidelity in response to P-site codon-anticodon mismatches.
bioRxiv
01/29/2023 Authors: Nguyen HA; Hoffer ED; Fagan CE; Maehigashi T; Dunham CM
Ratchet, swivel, tilt and roll: a complete description of subunit rotation in the ribosome.
Nucleic Acids Res Volume: 51 Page(s): 919 - 934
01/25/2023 Authors: Hassan A; Byju S; Freitas FC; Roc C; Pender N; Nguyen K; Kimbrough EM; Mattingly JM; Gonzalez RL; de Oliveira RJ
Druggable differences: Targeting mechanistic differences between trans-translation and translation for selective antibiotic action.
Bioessays Volume: 44 Page(s): e2200046
08/01/2022 Authors: Srinivas P; Keiler KC; Dunham CM
50S subunit recognition and modification by the Mycobacterium tuberculosis ribosomal RNA methyltransferase TlyA.
Proc Natl Acad Sci U S A Volume: 119 Page(s): e2120352119
04/05/2022 Authors: Laughlin ZT; Nandi S; Dey D; Zelinskaya N; Witek MA; Srinivas P; Nguyen HA; Kuiper EG; Comstock LR; Dunham CM
ESKAPE velocity: total synthesis platforms promise to increase the pace and diversity of antibiotic development.
Nat Struct Mol Biol Volume: 29 Page(s): 3 - 4
01/01/2022 Authors: Mattingly JM; Dunham CM
Oxidation alters the architecture of the phenylalanyl-tRNA synthetase editing domain to confer hyperaccuracy.
Nucleic Acids Res Volume: 49 Page(s): 11800 - 11809
11/18/2021 Authors: Srinivas P; Steiner RE; Pavelich IJ; Guerrero-Ferreira R; Juneja P; Ibba M; Dunham CM
Structural basis of proofreading in oxidized PheRS
Volume: 30 Page(s): 94 - 94
10/01/2021 Authors: Srinivas P; Tollerson R; Ibba M; Dunham C
trans-Translation inhibitors bind to a novel site on the ribosome and clear Neisseria gonorrhoeae in vivo.
Nat Commun Volume: 12 Page(s): 1799
03/19/2021 Authors: Aron ZD; Mehrani A; Hoffer ED; Connolly KL; Srinivas P; Torhan MC; Alumasa JN; Cabrera M; Hosangadi D; Barbor JS
Seeing gene expression in cells: the future of structural biology.
Fac Rev Volume: 10 Page(s): 79
01/01/2021 Authors: Dai W; Darst SA; Dunham CM; Landick R; Petsko G; Weixlbaumer A
Structural insights into mRNA reading frame regulation by tRNA modification and slippery codon-anticodon pairing.
Elife Volume: 9
10/05/2020 Authors: Hoffer ED; Hong S; Sunita S; Maehigashi T; Gonzalez RL; Whitford PC; Dunham CM
Disruption of evolutionarily correlated tRNA elements impairs accurate decoding.
Proc Natl Acad Sci U S A Volume: 117 Page(s): 16333 - 16338
07/14/2020 Authors: Nguyen HA; Sunita S; Dunham CM
Aminoglycoside conformation and ring substituents dictate evasion from bacterial resistance mechanisms
Volume: 34
04/01/2020 Authors: Dey D; Hoffer E; Francis D; Dunham C; Conn G
Editorial: Ribosome survey and summary collection 2020.
Nucleic Acids Res Volume: 48 Page(s): 1011 - 1012
02/20/2020 Authors: Dunham CM; Dynan WS; Mankin A
Functionally critical residues in the aminoglycoside resistance-associated methyltransferase RmtC play distinct roles in 30S substrate recognition.
J Biol Chem Volume: 294 Page(s): 17642 - 17653
11/15/2019 Authors: Nosrati M; Dey D; Mehrani A; Strassler SE; Zelinskaya N; Hoffer ED; Stagg SM; Dunham CM; Conn GL
Monomeric YoeB toxin retains RNase activity but adopts an obligate dimeric form for thermal stability.
Nucleic Acids Res Volume: 47 Page(s): 10400 - 10413
11/04/2019 Authors: Pavelich IJ; Maehigashi T; Hoffer ED; Ruangprasert A; Miles SJ; Dunham CM
Structural basis of transcriptional regulation by the HigA antitoxin.
Mol Microbiol Volume: 111 Page(s): 1449 - 1462
06/01/2019 Authors: Schureck MA; Meisner J; Hoffer ED; Wang D; Onuoha N; Ei Cho S; Lollar P; Dunham CM
Importance of a tRNA anticodon loop modification and a conserved, noncanonical anticodon stem pairing in tRNACGGProfor decoding.
J Biol Chem Volume: 294 Page(s): 5281 - 5291
04/05/2019 Authors: Nguyen HA; Hoffer ED; Dunham CM
Ribosomal ambiguity(ram) mutations promote the open (off) to closed (on) transition and thereby increase miscoding.
Nucleic Acids Res Volume: 47 Page(s): 1557 - 1563
02/20/2019 Authors: Hoffer ED; Maehigashi T; Fredrick K; Dunham CM
Investigating the Structural Mechanism of the Stalled Bacterial Ribosome Bound to a Drug that Targets Trans-Translation
Volume: 116 Page(s): 573A - 574A
02/15/2019 Authors: Mehrani A; Hoffer ED; Goralski TDP; Keiler KC; Dunham CM; Stagg S
Structural Insights into Oxygen-Dependent Signal Transduction within Globin Coupled Sensors.
Inorg Chem Volume: 57 Page(s): 14386 - 14395
11/19/2018 Authors: Rivera S; Young PG; Hoffer ED; Vansuch GE; Metzler CL; Dunham CM; Weinert EE
Mechanism of tRNA-mediated +1 ribosomal frameshifting.
Proc Natl Acad Sci U S A Volume: 115 Page(s): 11226 - 11231
10/30/2018 Authors: Hong S; Sunita S; Maehigashi T; Hoffer ED; Dunkle JA; Dunham CM
Alternative Mode of E-Site tRNA Binding in the Presence of a Downstream mRNA Stem Loop at the Entrance Channel.
Structure Volume: 26 Page(s): 437 - 445.e3
03/06/2018 Authors: Zhang Y; Hong S; Ruangprasert A; Skiniotis G; Dunham CM
Genome mining: Digging the tunnel for chemical space.
Nat Chem Biol Volume: 13 Page(s): 1061 - 1062
09/19/2017 Authors: Nguyen HA; Dunham CM
The structure and function of Mycobacterium tuberculosis MazF-mt6 toxin provide insights into conserved features of MazF endonucleases.
J Biol Chem Volume: 292 Page(s): 7718 - 7726
05/12/2017 Authors: Hoffer ED; Miles SJ; Dunham CM
Importance of the E. coli DinJ antitoxin carboxy terminus for toxin suppression and regulated proteolysis.
Mol Microbiol Volume: 104 Page(s): 65 - 77
04/01/2017 Authors: Ruangprasert A; Maehigashi T; Miles SJ; Dunham CM
Molecular mechanisms of translational control
Volume: 73 Page(s): A431 - A431
01/01/2017 Authors: Hong S; Sunita S; Schureck MA; Maehigashi T; Dunkle JA; Ruangprasert A; Meisner J; Hoffer ED; Dunham CM
Uniformity of Peptide Release Is Maintained by Methylation of Release Factors.
Cell Rep Volume: 17 Page(s): 11 - 18
09/27/2016 Authors: Pierson WE; Hoffer ED; Keedy HE; Simms CL; Dunham CM; Zaher HS
Mechanism of endonuclease cleavage by the HigB toxin.
Nucleic Acids Res Volume: 44 Page(s): 7944 - 7953
09/19/2016 Authors: Schureck MA; Repack A; Miles SJ; Marquez J; Dunham CM
mRNA bound to the 30S subunit is a HigB toxin substrate.
RNA Volume: 22 Page(s): 1261 - 1270
08/01/2016 Authors: Schureck MA; Maehigashi T; Miles SJ; Marquez J; Dunham CM
Regulation of the mRNA reading frame
Volume: 30
04/01/2016 Authors: Dunham CM; Sunita S; Dunkle J; Maehigashi T
Regulation of the mRNA reading frame
Volume: 30
04/01/2016 Authors: Dunham CM; Sunita S; Dunkle J; Maehigashi T
Defining the mRNA recognition signature of a bacterial toxin protein.
Proc Natl Acad Sci U S A Volume: 112 Page(s): 13862 - 13867
11/10/2015 Authors: Schureck MA; Dunkle JA; Maehigashi T; Miles SJ; Dunham CM
Molecular basis of ribosome recognition and mRNA hydrolysis by the E. coli YafQ toxin.
Nucleic Acids Res Volume: 43 Page(s): 8002 - 8012
09/18/2015 Authors: Maehigashi T; Ruangprasert A; Miles SJ; Dunham CM
Growth-regulating Mycobacterium tuberculosis VapC-mt4 toxin is an isoacceptor-specific tRNase.
Nat Commun Volume: 6 Page(s): 7480
07/09/2015 Authors: Cruz JW; Sharp JD; Hoffer ED; Maehigashi T; Vvedenskaya IO; Konkimalla A; Husson RN; Nickels BE; Dunham CM; Woychik NA
Mechanisms of mRNA frame maintenance and its subversion during translation of the genetic code.
Biochimie Volume: 114 Page(s): 90 - 96
07/01/2015 Authors: Dunkle JA; Dunham CM
Structural insights into translational recoding by frameshift suppressor tRNASufJ.
RNA Volume: 20 Page(s): 1944 - 1954
12/01/2014 Authors: Fagan CE; Maehigashi T; Dunkle JA; Miles SJ; Dunham CM
Macrolide-peptide conjugates as probes of the path of travel of the nascent peptides through the ribosome.
ACS Chem Biol Volume: 9 Page(s): 2621 - 2631
11/21/2014 Authors: Washington AZ; Benicewicz DB; Canzoneri JC; Fagan CE; Mwakwari SC; Maehigashi T; Dunham CM; Oyelere AK
Structural insights into +1 frameshifting promoted by expanded or modification-deficient anticodon stem loops.
Proc Natl Acad Sci U S A Volume: 111 Page(s): 12740 - 12745
09/02/2014 Authors: Maehigashi T; Dunkle JA; Miles SJ; Dunham CM
Mechanisms of toxin inhibition and transcriptional repression by Escherichia coli DinJ-YafQ.
J Biol Chem Volume: 289 Page(s): 20559 - 20569
07/25/2014 Authors: Ruangprasert A; Maehigashi T; Miles SJ; Giridharan N; Liu JX; Dunham CM
Doc toxin is a kinase that inactivates elongation factor Tu.
J Biol Chem Volume: 289 Page(s): 19276
07/11/2014 Authors: Cruz JW; Rothenbacher FP; Maehigashi T; Lane WS; Dunham CM; Woychik NA
Bacterial warfare again targets the ribosome.
Structure Volume: 22 Page(s): 661 - 662
05/06/2014 Authors: Schureck MA; Dunham CM
Molecular recognition and modification of the 30S ribosome by the aminoglycoside-resistance methyltransferase NpmA.
Proc Natl Acad Sci U S A Volume: 111 Page(s): 6275 - 6280
04/29/2014 Authors: Dunkle JA; Vinal K; Desai PM; Zelinskaya N; Savic M; West DM; Conn GL; Dunham CM
The structural basis for recognition and modification of the 30S ribosomal subunit by an antibiotic resistance methyltransferase
Volume: 28
04/01/2014 Authors: Dunkle J; Vinal K; Zelinskaya N; Conn G; Dunham C
Mechanism of HigB-mediated ribosome-dependent mRNA degradation
Volume: 28
04/01/2014 Authors: Schureck M; Maehigashi T; Marquez J; Dunkle J; Miles S; Dunham C
Mechanistic studies of ribosome-dependent toxins active during the stringent response
Volume: 28
04/01/2014 Authors: Dunham C; Schureck M; Maehigashi T; Ruangprasert A; Dunkle J; Miles S
Doc toxin is a kinase that inactivates elongation factor Tu.
J Biol Chem Volume: 289 Page(s): 7788 - 7798
03/14/2014 Authors: Cruz JW; Rothenbacher FP; Maehigashi T; Lane WS; Dunham CM; Woychik NA
Structure of the Proteus vulgaris HigB-(HigA)2-HigB toxin-antitoxin complex.
J Biol Chem Volume: 289 Page(s): 1060 - 1070
01/10/2014 Authors: Schureck MA; Maehigashi T; Miles SJ; Marquez J; Cho SE; Erdman R; Dunham CM
Stress granules form in Brachionus manjavacas (Rotifera) in response to a variety of stressors.
Comp Biochem Physiol A Mol Integr Physiol Volume: 166 Page(s): 375 - 384
10/01/2013 Authors: Jones BL; VanLoozen J; Kim MH; Miles SJ; Dunham CM; Williams LD; Snell TW
Reorganization of an intersubunit bridge induced by disparate 16S ribosomal ambiguity mutations mimics an EF-Tu-bound state.
Proc Natl Acad Sci U S A Volume: 110 Page(s): 9716 - 9721
06/11/2013 Authors: Fagan CE; Dunkle JA; Maehigashi T; Dang MN; Devaraj A; Miles SJ; Qin D; Fredrick K; Dunham CM
Structure of the basal components of a bacterial transporter.
Proc Natl Acad Sci U S A Volume: 109 Page(s): 5446 - 5451
04/03/2012 Authors: Meisner J; Maehigashi T; Andr I; Dunham CM; Moran CP
The structural basis for mRNA recognition and cleavage by the ribosome-dependent endonuclease RelE.
Cell Volume: 139 Page(s): 1084 - 1095
12/11/2009 Authors: Neubauer C; Gao Y-G; Andersen KR; Dunham CM; Kelley AC; Hentschel J; Gerdes K; Ramakrishnan V; Brodersen DE
The structure of the ribosome with elongation factor G trapped in the posttranslocational state.
Science Volume: 326 Page(s): 694 - 699
10/30/2009 Authors: Gao Y-G; Selmer M; Dunham CM; Weixlbaumer A; Kelley AC; Ramakrishnan V
Splice variants of the human ZC3H14 gene generate multiple isoforms of a zinc finger polyadenosine RNA binding protein.
Gene Volume: 439 Page(s): 71 - 78
06/15/2009 Authors: Leung SW; Apponi LH; Cornejo OE; Kitchen CM; Valentini SR; Pavlath GK; Dunham CM; Corbett AH
Crystal structure of the ribosome recycling factor bound to the ribosome.
Nat Struct Mol Biol Volume: 14 Page(s): 733 - 737
08/01/2007 Authors: Weixlbaumer A; Petry S; Dunham CM; Selmer M; Kelley AC; Ramakrishnan V
Crystal structures of the ribosome in complex with release factors RF1 and RF2 bound to a cognate stop codon
Volume: 274 Page(s): 86 - 86
07/01/2007 Authors: Petry S; Brodersen DE; Murphy FV; Dunham CM; Selmer M; Tarry MJ; Kelley AC; Ramakrishnan V
Recombinant RNA expression.
Nat Methods Volume: 4 Page(s): 547 - 548
07/01/2007 Authors: Dunham CM; Conn GL
Structures of tRNAs with an expanded anticodon loop in the decoding center of the 30S ribosomal subunit.
RNA Volume: 13 Page(s): 817 - 823
06/01/2007 Authors: Dunham CM; Selmer M; Phelps SS; Kelley AC; Suzuki T; Joseph S; Ramakrishnan V
Structure of the 70S ribosome complexed with mRNA and tRNA.
Science Volume: 313 Page(s): 1935 - 1942
09/29/2006 Authors: Selmer M; Dunham CM; Murphy FV; Weixlbaumer A; Petry S; Kelley AC; Weir JR; Ramakrishnan V
Crystal structures of the ribosome in complex with release factors RF1 and RF2 bound to a cognate stop codon.
Cell Volume: 123 Page(s): 1255 - 1266
12/29/2005 Authors: Petry S; Brodersen DE; Murphy FV; Dunham CM; Selmer M; Tarry MJ; Kelley AC; Ramakrishnan V
A helical twist-induced conformational switch activates cleavage in the hammerhead ribozyme.
J Mol Biol Volume: 332 Page(s): 327 - 336
09/12/2003 Authors: Dunham CM; Murray JB; Scott WG
A distal arginine in oxygen-sensing heme-PAS domains is essential to ligand binding, signal transduction, and structure.
Biochemistry Volume: 42 Page(s): 7701 - 7708
07/01/2003 Authors: Dunham CM; Dioum EM; Tuckerman JR; Gonzalez G; Scott WG; Gilles-Gonzalez M-A
Molecular features of the copper binding sites in the octarepeat domain of the prion protein.
Biochemistry Volume: 41 Page(s): 3991 - 4001
03/26/2002 Authors: Burns CS; Aronoff-Spencer E; Dunham CM; Lario P; Avdievich NI; Antholine WE; Olmstead MM; Vrielink A; Gerfen GJ; Peisach J
A pH-dependent conformational change, rather than the chemical step, appears to be rate-limiting in the hammerhead ribozyme cleavage reaction.
J Mol Biol Volume: 315 Page(s): 121 - 130
01/11/2002 Authors: Murray JB; Dunham CM; Scott WG
Structural insights into copper binding in the prion protein
BIOPHYSICAL JOURNAL Volume: 82 Page(s): 332A - 332A
01/01/2002 Authors: Burns CS; Aronoff-Spencer ES; Peisach J; Gerfen GJ; Antholine WE; Dunham C; Scott W; Millhauser GL

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Christine Dunham PhD

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