Member Institutions:

• Bowling Green State U.
• Cleveland State U.
• Kent State U.
• Medical College of Ohio
• Miami U.
• The Ohio State U.
• Ohio U.
• University of Cincinnati
• University of Toledo
• Wright State U.
• Youngstown State U.

Research Interests

The goal of our research is to utilize modern biochemical, cellular and molecular techniques to investigate questions in cellular metabolism and function. We are especially interested in understanding processes involved in cellular division and its regulation.

One focus of our work involves studies to better understand the process of meiosis. All sexually reproducing organisms utilize meiosis for the production of gametes. Problems ranging from infertility to hybrid seed production will benefit from a detailed understanding of the molecular and biochemical events that occur during meiosis. We are currently studying meiotic mutants that were generated by insertional mutagenesis to facilitate the isolation and characterization of genes that are essential for meiosis. This project utilizes studies at the cellular, molecular and biochemical levels to: (a) determine what aspect of meiosis is affected by the mutations, (b) isolate and characterize meiotic genes and study their expression and (c) to determine how the proteins function.

A second area under investigation involves the glyoxalase pathway, which has been implicated in cellular detoxification and the regulation of cellular proliferation. We are currently undertaking structure/function studies on glyoxalase II to identify and characterize the active site of the enzyme. Biochemical and molecular studies are also underway to more accurately determine the exact role(s) of the protein in the cell. The ultimate goal of this work is the rational design and synthesis of glyoxalase II inhibitors that could be used as anti-cancer and anti-malarial agents.

Selected References

• Peirson, B. N., Bowling, S. E., Makaroff, C. A. 1997 A Defect in Synapsis Causes Sterility in a T-DNA-Tagged Mutant Of Arabidopsis. Plant Journal, 11:659-669
• Paxson-Sowders, D. M., Owen, H. A., Makaroff, C. A. 1997 A Comparative Ultrastructural Analysis of Exine Pattern Development in Wild-Type Arabidopsis and a Mutant Defective in Pattern Formation. Protoplasma, 198:53-65
• Maiti, M. K., Krishnasamy, S., Owen, H. A., Makaroff, C. A. 1997 Molecular Characterization of Glyoxalase II from Arabidopsis thaliana. Plant Mol. Biol.,35:471-481
• Crowder, M. W., Maiti, M. K., Banovic, L., Makaroff, C. A. 1997 Glyoxalase II from A. thaliana Requires Zn(II) for Catalytic Activity. FEBS Lett., 418:351-354

Dr. Makaroff's homepage
Miami University Department of Chemistry and Biochemistry
Miami University homepage
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