Kowalczykowski Lab Home Page

Stephen Kowalczykowski, Distinguished Professor
University of California, Davis
Department of Microbiology and Molecular Genetics
Department of Molecular and Cellular Biology
Biochemistry, Molecular, Cellular and Developmental Biology, Biophysics, Genetics, and Microbiology Graduate Groups
Briggs Hall - Rm. 310
One Shields Ave
Davis, CA 95616-8665
(the next Napa... like living in Provence...)

E-MAIL:   sckowalczykowski@ucdavis.edu
PHONE (office): 530-752-5938      FAX (office): 530-752-5939
   PHONE (department): 530-752-2626   FAX (department): 530-752-9014
Focus in Chromosome Dynamics at U.C. Davis

Recent papers and papers in press

Our research interests include:

	Molecular mechanism of genetic recombination DNA strand exchange proteins Homologous pairing Recombination-intermediate structures DNA helicases DNA processing Recombination hotspots
	Biochemistry of DNA helicases DNA unwinding and ATP hydrolysis Translocation along DNA Molecular motor mechanisms Reconstituted in vitro reactions

Protein-nucleic acid interactions
Atomic force (scanning probe) microscopy
Single-molecule visualization
Equilibrium and kinetic properties
Fluorescence-based assays

[Click here to see a movie of translocation & unwinding by an individual RecBCD helicase along a single molecule of DNA]

laser optical trap
Streptavidin-coated bead (1m)

More movies:
1 mM ATP
250 µM ATP #1
250 µM ATP #2
no ATP

News Flashes!

Paeschke, K., Bochman, M.L., Garcia, P.D., Cejka, P., Friedman, K.L., Kowalczykowski, S.C., and Zakian, V.A. (2013). Pif1 family helicases suppress genome instability at G-quadruplex motifs. Nature, 497, 458-62 (published online May 8, 2013 as doi: 10.1038/nature12149). PMID: 23657261
[Abstract] [Full Text] [PDF] [Supplementary Information]
(see Nature New & Views: DNA replication: Driving past four-stranded snags [PDF])
(see NSF Science360 New Service [Full Text] [PDF])

Cannavo, E., Cejka, P., and Kowalczykowski, S.C. (2013). Relationship of DNA degradation by Saccharomyces cerevisiae Exonuclease 1 and its stimulation by RPA and Mre11-Rad50-Xrs2 to DNA end resection. Proc. Natl. Acad. Sci. U.S.A., 109 (published online April 15, 2013 as doi: 10.1073/pnas.1305166110). PMID: 23589858
[Abstract] [Full Text] [PDF]

Jensen, R.B., Ozes, A., Kim, T., Estep, A., and Kowalczykowski, S.C. (2013). BRCA2 is epistatic to the RAD51 paralogs in response to DNA damage. DNA Repair 12, 306-311. PMID: 23384538; PMCID: PMC3602134.
[Abstract] [Full Text] [PDF]

Forget, A.L., Dombrowski, C.C., Amitani, I., and Kowalczykowski, S.C. (2013). Exploring protein-DNA interactions in 3D using in situ construction, manipulation, and visualization of individual DNA-dumbbells with optical traps, microfluidics, and fluorescence microscopy. Nature Protocols, 8, 525-538. PMID: 23411634.
[Abstract] [Full Text] [PDF]

Bell, J.C., Plank, J.L., Dombrowski, C.C., and Kowalczykowski, S.C. (2012). Direct imaging of RecA nucleation and growth on single molecules of SSB-coated ssDNA. Nature, 491, 274-278 (published online 24 October 2012 as doi: 10.1038/nature11598). PMID: 23103864.
[Abstract] [Full Text] [PDF]
(see Nature News & Views: A glimpse of molecular competition [PDF])

Morimatsu, K., Wu, Y., and Kowalczykowski, S.C. (2012). RecFOR proteins target RecA protein to a DNA gap with either DNA or RNA at the 5'-terminus: Implication for repair of stalled replication forks. J. Biol. Chem. 287, 35621-35630 (published online 17 August 2012 as 10.1074/jbc.M112.397034). PMID: 22902627; PMCID: PMC3471720.
[Abstract] [Full Text] [PDF]

Cejka, P., Plank, J.L., Dombrowski, C.C., and Kowalczykowski, S.C. (2012). Decatenation of DNA by the S. cerevisiae Sgs1–Top3–Rmi1 and RPA complex: A mechanism for disentangling chromosomes. Mol. Cell, 47, 886-896 (published online August 15, 2012). PMID: 22885009; PMCID: PMC3462259.
[Abstract] [Full Text] [PDF]

View my collection, "My Bibliography" from NCBI

Scott, Eugenie C., ... Kowalczykowski, S.C., et al. 2004. The Morphology of Steve. Annals of Improbable Research, July/August, 4, pp. 24-29.
[PDF] [Project Steve] [FAQ] [Ten Years of Project Steve]