Dr. Elena Harjes
Lecturer in Biophysics
Institute of Fundamental Sciences
Massey University
New Zealand
Biography
Dr. Elena Harjes is currently working as a Lecturer in Biophysics in the Department of  Fundamental Sciences, Massey univesity , Newzealand. Her research interests includes protein-DNA interaction of APOBEC3 (A3) proteins. APOBEC3 proteins provide a key part of our defence against viral pathogens. she is serving as an editorial member and reviewer of several international reputed journals. Dr. Elena Harjes is the member of many international affiliations. She has successfully completed her Administrative responsibilities. she has authored of many research articles/books related to protein-DNA interaction of APOBEC3 (A3) proteins. APOBEC3 proteins provide a key part of our defence against viral pathogens.
Research Interest
Her research focuses on protein-DNA interaction of APOBEC3 (A3) proteins. APOBEC3 proteins provide a key part of our defence against viral pathogens. They act by attacking single-stranded viral DNA (ssDNA) and destroy their genetic information by mutating the cytidines to uridines. For this defence to work, it is essential to distinguish between pathogen DNA and our own genetic information. How A3 proteins recognize specific ssDNA and specific pathogens, but neither double-stranded DNA nor RNA, remains unknown. We are using high-resolution NMR to answer this and others important biological questions.
Publications
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Harjes, S., Solomon, WC., Li, M., Chen, KM., Harjes, E., Harris, RS., . . . Matsuo, H. (2013). Impact of H216 on the DNA binding and catalytic activities of the HIV restriction factor APOBEC3G. Journal of Virology. 87(12), 7008-7014
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Harjes, S., Jameson, GB., Filichev, VV., Edwards, PJB., & Harjes, E. (2017). NMR-based method of small changes reveals how DNA mutator APOBEC3A interacts with its single-stranded DNA substrate. Nucleic Acids Research. 45(9), 5602-5613
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Cameron, AJ., Squire, CJ., Edwards, PJB., Harjes, E., & Sarojini, V. (2017). Crystal and NMR Structures of a Peptidomimetic β-turn which provides facile synthesis of 13-membered Cyclic Tetrapeptides.. Chem Asian J.
