Dr Katerina Tsitsanou

Date and place of birth: 1969, Athens, Greece.

Education

Institution

Degree

Year

Field of Study

University of Athens, Greece

B.Sc.

1994

Chemistry

University of Athens, Greece

Ph.D.

2001

Biochemistry and Structural Biology

Mendel Center for Biomedical Sciences, Nicosia, Cyprus.

Postdoctoral Training

2002-2004

Molecular Virology

 

Research and Professional Experience

2002-2004

Postdoctoral scientist at the Mendel Center for Biomedical Sciences, Nicosia, Cyprus. Carries out research in molecular virology: Investigates the use of Human Papilloma Virus DNA detection and typing as a means of prevention of cervical cancer. The epidemiology of HPV in Greek- and Turkish-Cypriots is also studied.

1995-2001

Pre- and post-doctoral research at the Protein Structure and Function group (Prof. N.G. Oikonomakos, head) at the National Hellenic Research Foundation, Greece.

Thesis title: "Design of analogue inhibitors of glycogen phosphorylase as potential anti-diabetic drugs: kinetic and crystallographic studies.''

Gained experience in the following techniques: Protein purification (including affinity chromatography, HPLC, FPLC), functional studies (kinetics), crystallisation techniques, X-ray data collection and processing (HKL package, CCP4), structure determination (MIR, MR, MAD), model building and refinement (X-PLOR, REFMAC, CNS) and structure analysis (O, CCP4).

 

 

 

Fellowships, Honours, Professional Organisations
  1. Member of the Association of Greek Chemists.
  2. Member of the Hellenic Biochemical and Biophysical Society.
  3. Registered User of Synchrotron Radiation Source: at SRS Daresbury, U.K.; at EMBL outstation, Hamburg, Germany; and at Elettra, Trieste, Italy.

 

Publications
  1. Publications listed in Medline with abstracts
  1. Tsitsanou KE, Skamnaki VT and Oikonomakos NG (2000) Structural basis of the synergistic inhibition of glycogen phosphorylase a by caffeine and a potential antidiabetic drug. Αrch Biochem Biophys 348, 245-54. PMID: 11368311
  2. Oikonomakos NG, Schnier JB, Zographos SE, Skamnaki VT, Tsitsanou KE and Johnson LN (2000) Flavopiridol inhibits glycogen phosphorylase by binding at the inhibitor site. J Biol Chem 275, 34566-73. PMID: 10924512
  3. Oikonomakos NG, Skamnaki VT, Tsitsanou KE, Gavalas NG and Johnson LN (2000). A new allosteric site in glycogen phosphorylase b as a target for drug interactions. Structure Fold Des 8, 575-84. PMID: 10873856
  4. Oikonomakos NG, Tsitsanou KE, Zographos SE, Skamnaki VT, Goldmann S and Bischoff H (1999) Allosteric inhibition of glycogen phosphorylase a by the potential antidiabetic drug 3-isopropyl 4-(2-chlorophenyl)-1,4-dihydro-1-ethyl-2-methyl-pyridine-3,5,6-tricarboxylate. Protein Sci 8, 1930-45. PMID: 10548038
  5. Tsitsanou KE, Oikonomakos NG, Zographos SE, Skamnaki VT, Gregoriou M, Watson KA, Johnson LN and Fleet GWJ (1999) Effects of commonly used cryoprotectants on glycogen phosphorylase activity and structure. Protein Sci 8, 741-49, COVER STORY. PMID: 10211820
  6. Zographos SE, Oikonomakos NG, Tsitsanou KE, Leonidas DD, Chrysina ED, Skamnaki VT, Bischoff H, Goldman S, Schram M, Watson KA and Johnson LN (1997) The structure of glycogen phosphorylase b with an alkyl-dihydropyridine-dicarboxylic acid compound, a novel and potent inhibitor. Structure 5, 1413-25. PMID: 9384557
  7. Oikonomakos NG, Zographos SE, Tsitsanou KE, Johnson LN and Acharya KR (1996) Activator anion site in pyridoxal phosphorylase b : The binding of phosphite, phosphate and fluorophosphate anions in the crystal. Protein Sci 5, 2416-2428. PMID: 8976550

 

  1. Other publications

Presenting author in more than 5 and co-author in more than 20 abstracts at National and International Conferences. A selected abstract is listed here:

P.I. Neophytou, D. Philippidou, A. Chrysanthou, D.H. Wreschner, K. Tsitsanou, M. Savabi, S. Lerios and V. Tanos (Oct 2002) Human Papilloma Virus in Cyprus. HPV DNA Testing for Prevention of Cervical Cancer. 28th FEBS (Federation of European Biochemical Societies) Meeting, Istanbul, Turkey.