Research Interests

Field of science: Structural biology, Crystallography, Biophysics.
Study of the three-dimensional organization, structure-function relationships, and the molecular mechanisms of biological action of proteins and peptides by x-ray crystallography, computational biochemistry, and bioinformatic methods. Protein engineering and drug design.

Projects:.

• Monoclonal antibodies and their complexes with synthetic antigenic peptides.
• Pea Lectin in complexes with carbohydrates
• Enzymes of short chain oxiidoreductase family
• Polycystine 1 (PKD)
• IgA protease from meningitidis bacteria
• Fluorescent proteins from marine animals

Professional Membership & Activities

Member of Engineering Academy of Belarus

Awards

1981 Medal for Distinction in Labour

Grants

• "Structural basis of antigen-antibody interaction": (2003-2008) Russian Foundation of Fundamental Investigations
• Structure-functional relations of the IgA protease from meningitidis (2004-2006) International Science and Technology Center (ISTC), Biotechnology engagement program (BTEP)

Selected Publications
The total list of publications includes 99 papers, 14 chapters and 135 abstracts

• Pletnev V.Z., Zamolodchikova T.S., Pangborn W.A., Duax W.L. Crystal Structure of Bovine Duodenase, a Serine Protease, with Dual Trypsin and Ctymotrypsin-Like Specificities, Proteins (structure function and genetics), 41, 8-16 (2000).
• Afonon P.V., Fokin A.V., Tsygannik I.N., Mikhailova I.Yu., Onoprienko L.V., Mikhaleva I.I., Ivanov V.T., Mareeva T.Yu., Nesmeyanov V.A., Li. N., Pangborn W.A., Duax W.L., Pletnev V.Z. Crystal structure of an anti-interleukin-2 monoclonal antibody Fab complexed with an antigenic nonapeptide, Protein Science,10, 1514-1521 (2001).
• Pletnev V., Addllagatta A., Wawrzak Z., Duax W. " Three-dimensional structure of homodimeric cholesterol_esterase/ligand complex at 1.4Å resolution" Acta Cryst D59 50-56 (2003).
• Pletnev V Z. Weeks C., Duax W.L., "Rational Proteomics II. Electrostatic Nature of Cofactor Preference in the Short Chain Oxidoreductase (SCOR) Enzyme Family", PROTEINS: -Structure, Function and Bioinformatics. V57, p 294-301. (2004).
• Pletnev V. Z., Duax W. L., "Rational Proteomics IV: Modeling the Primary Function of the Mammalian 17b
• -Hydroxysteroid Dehydrogenase type 8"., J. Steroid Biochem. Mol. Biol. V94, p327-335. (2005).
• Pletneva N, Pletnev S, Tikhonova T, Popov V, Martynov V, Pletnev V. "Structure of a red fluorescent protein from Zoanthus, zRFP574, reveals a novel chromophore." Acta Crystallogr D Biol Crystallogr. D62, 527-532 (2006).
• Pletnev VZ, Thomas JL, Rhaney FL, Holt LS, Scaccia LA, Umland TC, Duax WL "Rational proteomics V: Structure-based mutagenesis has revealed key residues responsible for substrate recognition and catalysis by the dehydrogenase and isomerase activities in human 3b-hydroxysteroid dehydrogenase/isomerase type 1" J. Steroid Biochem. Mol. Biol. 101, 50-60 (2006).
• Pletnev V, Huether R, Habegger L, Schultz W, Duax W, " Rational proteomics of PKD1 I. Modeling the three dimensional structure and ligand specificity of the C_lectin binding domain of Polycystin-1 " J. Mol. Modeling 8, 891-896 (2007).
• Pletneva, N., Pletnev V., Tikhonova T., Popov V., Martynov V., Pletnev V. " Three dimensional structure of yellow fluorescent protein zYFP538 (Zoanthus sp.) at 1.8Å resolution " Rus. J. Bioorg. Chem. 33, 390-398 (2007).
• Pletneva N., Pletnev V., Tikhonova T., Pakhomov A., Popov V., Martynov V., Wlodawer A., Dauter Z., Sergei Pletnev S., " Refined crystal structures of red and green fluorescent proteins from button polyp Zoanthus. " Acta Cryst. D Biol Crystallogr. D63, 1082-1093 (2007).