Sussman/Silman Group Research Projects

We are currently studying the 3D structure/function of nervous system proteins, such as acetylcholinesterase, cholinesterase-like adhesion molecules, snake toxins, β-glucosidase, β-secretase and paraoxonase. Through our research, we hope to find new leads for treating neurological disorders, including Alzheimer's Disease. We are also studying how proteins adapt to extreme environments, e.g. halotolerant proteins from Dunaliella, and why certain proteins appear to be natively unfolded.

In parallel, we have been instrumental in the establishment of the Israel Structural Proteomics Center (ISPC).

Acetylcholinesterase (AChE)

Acetylcholinesterase (AChE)  
  • Introduction to AChE
  • General Overview of AChE by Kurt Giles
  • How synchrotron radiation can rapidly cause specific damage to a protein

    • Alzheimer's Drugs

    Drug Discoveries  
  • How drugs for the treatment of Alzheimer's disease interact with AChE

    • Cholinesterase Like Adhesion Molecules (CLAMs)

    Cholinesterase Like Adhesion Molecules (CLAMs)  
  • CLAMs - Neural cell adhesion proteins which share sequence, but not functional similarity, to AChE

    • Halotolerant Proteins

    Cholinesterase Like Adhesion Molecules (CLAMs)  
  • How proteins function in extreme environments - halotolerant proteins

    • Snake Toxins

    Snake Toxins  
  • Design & Analysis of proteins with new functions based on snake toxin chimeras
  • The ACh-binding site in AChE and its relationship to the AChR binding pocket

    • Structural Proteomics

    Structural Proteomics  
  • Structural Proteomics In Europe (SPINE)
  • The Israel Structural Proteomics Center (ISPC)
  • EU Genomics News (July 2004) - The Weizmann View of Being Part of SPINE

    • Bioinformatics

    Bioinformatics  
  • FoldIndex©: Natively Unfolded proteins - Will this protein fold?
  • Zeev-Ben-Mordehai, Rydberg, Solomon, Toker, Botti, Auld, Silman & Sussman,
    "The intracellular domain of the drosophila cholinesterase-like neural adhesion protein, gliotactin, is natively unfolded" Proteins (2003) 53, 758-767. [Abstract] [PDF]
  • Proteomic Signatures Pe'er, Felder, Man, Silman, Sussman & Beckmann
    "Proteomic signatures: amino acid and oligopeptide compositions differentiate between phyla" Proteins (2004) 54, 20-40. [Abstract] [PDF] [Cover] [Supplementary Material]
  • Web Server Calculates Dipole Moments of Proteins

    • For these studies we employ a variety of methods, including molecular biology, spectroscopy, X-ray crystallography, protein engineering and bioinformatics tools.