The University of Western Australia

Dr Mihwa Lee

NHMRC Postdoctoral Training Fellow
School of Chemistry and Biochemistry

Contact details

Address

School of Chemistry and Biochemistry
The University of Western Australia (M310)
35 Stirling Highway
CRAWLEY WA 6009
Australia

Phone

6488 4465

Email

mihwa.lee@uwa.edu.au

Location

Room 414, Bayliss Building, Crawley campus

Biography

Dr Mihwa Lee completed her Bachelor of Science and Masters Degree at the Pohang University of Science and Technology in Korea. She then undertook a PhD using X-ray protein crystallography to research the structure and function relationship of enzymes and the potential drug design at the University of Sydney. After completion of her PhD study, Dr Lee was awarded NHMRC Postdoctoral Training Fellowship and joined Professor Charlie Bond’s Lab at UWA in 2008 to commence her postdoctoral training.

Key research

The major focus of Dr Lee’s research is on structural biology to understand the fundamental relationship of macromolecules’ atomic structures and their functions, the ultimate basis for application to biomedical research. She is particularly interested in macromolecular interactions such as protein-protein and protein-nucleic acid interactions, and how they can be exploited for medical purposes. In order to understand these interactions and their functions, Dr Lee applies molecular biology, biochemistry and biophysics tools.

Publications

Bhati M, Lee C, Nancarrow AL, Lee M, Craig VJ, Bach I, Guss JM, Mackay JP, Matthews JM (2008), Implementing the LIM code: the structural basis for cell type-specific assembly of LIM-homeodomain complexes. EMBO J. 27, 2018–2029.

Bhati M, Lee M, Nancarrow AL, Bach I, Guss JM and Matthews JM (2008), Crystallization of an Lhx3-Isl1 complex. Acta Cryst F64, 297-299

Lee M, Maher MJ, Christopherson RI and Guss JM (2007), Kinetic and structural analysis of mutant Escherichia coli dihydroorotases: A flexible loop stabilizes the transition state. Biochemistry, 46, 10538–10550.

Lee M, Chan CW, Graham SC, Christopherson RI, Guss JM and Maher MJ (2007), Structures of ligand-free and inhibitor complexes of dihydroorotase from Escherichia coli: Implications for loop movement in inhibitor design. J Mol Biol, 370, 812–825

Lee M, Maher MJ and Guss JM (2007), Structure of the T109S mutant of Escherichia coli dihydroorotase complexed with the inhibitor 5-fluoroorotate: Catalytic activity is reflected by the crystal form. Acta Cryst F63, 154–161

Graham SC, Lilley PE, Lee M, Schaeffer PM, Kralicek AV, Dixon NE and Guss JM (2006), Kinetic and crystallographic analysis of mutant Escherichia coli aminopeptidase P: Insights into substrate recognition and the mechanism of catalysis. Biochemistry, 45, 964–975

Lee M, Chan C, Guss JM, Christopherson RI and Maher MJ (2005), Dihydroorotase from Escherichia coli: Loop movement and cooperativity between subunits. J Mol Biol, 348, 523–533

Lee M, Maher MJ, Freeman HC and Guss JM (2003), Auracyanin B structure in space group P65 Acta Cryst D59, 1545–1550.


Graham SC, Lee M, Freeman HC and Guss JM (2003), An orthorhombic form of Escherichia coli aminopeptidase P at 2.4 A resolution. Acta Cryst D59, 897–902.


Na CH, Lee M, Cho BY and Chae CB (2003), A method for identification of the peptides that bind to a clone of thyroid-stimulating antibodies in the serum of Graves' disease patients. J. Clinical Endocrin Metab, 88, 1570–1576.


Lee M, Willingham K, Langley DB, Maher MJ, Cohen AE, Ellis PJ, Kuchar JA, Dooley DM, Freeman HC and Guss JM (2002), Crystallization of Pichia pastoris lysyl oxidase. Acta Cryst D58, 2177–2179.

Lee M, Park JY, Cho BY and Chae CB (1999), Expression of the functional extracellular domain of human thyrotropin receptor using a vaccinia virus system: its purification and analysis of autoantibody binding. J. Clin Endocrin Metab 84: 1391–1397.

Park JY, Kim IJ, Lee M, Seo JK, Suh PG, Cho BY, Ryu SH and Chae CB (1997), Identification of the peptides that inhibit the stimulation of thyrotropin receptor by Graves' immunoglobulin G from peptide libraries. Endocrinology 138: 617–626.

Memberships

Society of Crystallographers in Australia and New Zealand (SCANZ)
Australian Society for Biochemistry and Molecular Biology (ASBMB)

Current projects

Collaborators

Professor Charles Bond (supervisor), Biochemistry and Molecular Biology, UWA
Dr Archa Fox, Western Australian Institute for Medical Research

Research profile

Research profile and publications