Research Program: Carcinogenesis & Chemoprevention
Professor, Departments of Chemistry and Medicinal Chemistry

diste001@umn.edu
612-624-0544 — office

Dr. Distefano received a B.A. in biochemistry and chemistry in 1984 from the University of California, Berkeley and a Ph.D. in chemistry in 1989 from the Massachusetts Institute of Technology. He conducted his postdoctoral work at the California Institute of Technology, Pasadena (1989-1992). In 1992, he joined the faculty in the Department of Chemistry at the University of Minnesota, where he is professor of chemistry and medicinal chemistry.

Research Interests

For a detailed description of Dr. Distefanco's research interests, please visit his Chemistry Department Web site.

Selected Publications

Wollack, J. W.; Zeliadt, N. A.; Mullen, D. G.; Amundson, G.; Geier, S.; Falkum, S.; Wattenberg, E. V.; Barany, G.; Distefano, M. D., Multifunctional prenylated peptides for in vivo analysis. J. Am. Chem. Soc. 2009, 131, 7293-7303.

Chung, J. A.; Wollack, J. W.; Okesli, A.; Hovlid, M. L.; Chen, Y.; Mueller, J. D.; Distefano, M. D.; Taton, T. A., Purification of prenylated proteins by affinity chromatography on cyclodextrin-modified agarose. Anal. Biochem. 2009, 386, 1-8.

DeGraw, A. J.; Hast, M. A.; Xu, J.; Mullen, D.; Beese, L. S.; Barany, G.; Distefano, M. D., Caged Protein Prenyltransferase Substrates: Tools for Understanding Protein Prenylation. Chem. Biol. Drug Des. 2008, 72, 171-181.

Sarikonda, G.; Wang, H.; Puan, K.-J.; Liu, X.-h.; Lee, H. K.; Song, Y.; Distefano, M. D.; Oldfield, E.; Prestwich, G. D.; Morita, C. T., Photoaffinity Antigens for Human gamma-delta T Cells. J. Immunol. 2008, 181, 7738-7750.

Lenevich, S.; Hosokawa, A.; Cramer, C. J.; Distefano, M. D., Transition State Analysis of Model and Enzymatic Prenylation Reactions. J. Am. Chem. Soc. 2007, 129, 5796-5797.

Xie, W.; McMahan, C. M.; DeGraw, A. J.; Distefano, M. D.; Cornish, K.; Whalen, M. C.; Shintani, D. K., Initiation of rubber biosynthesis: In vitro comparisons of benzophenone-modified diphosphate analogues in three rubber-producing species. Phytochem. 2008, 69, 2539-2545.

Hosokawa, A.; Wollack, J. W.; Zhang, Z.; Chen, L.; Barany, G.; Distefano, M. D., Evaluation of an alkyne-containing analogue of farnesyl diphosphate as a dual substrate for protein-prenyltransferases. Int. J. Peptide Res. 2007, 13, (1-2), 345-354.

Duckworth, B. P.; Zhang, Z.; Hosokawa, A.; Distefano, M. D., Selective Labeling of Proteins using Protein Farnesyltransferase. ChemBioChem 2007, 8, (1), 98-105.

Duckworth, B. P.; Chen, Y.; Sham, Y.; Mueller, J. D.; Taton, T. A.; Distefano, M. D., A Universal Method for the Preparation of Covalent Protein-DNA Conjugates for Use in Creating Protein Nanostructures. Angew. Chemie (Int. Ed) 2007, 46, 8819-8822.

DeGraw, A. J.; Zhao, Z.; Hsieh, J.; Jefferies, M.; Distefano, M. D.; Strickland, C. L.; Shintani, D.; Nural, H.; McMahan, C.; Xie, W., A photoactive isoprenoid diphosphate analogue containing a stable phosphonate linkage: synthesis and structural biochemical studies with prenyltransferases. J. Org. Chem. 2007, 72, (13), 4587-4595.

Duckworth BP, Xu J, Taton TA, Guo A, Distefano MD. Site-specific, covalent attachment of proteins to a solid surface. Bioconjug Chem. 2006;17:967-974.

Xu, J.; DeGraw, A. J.; Duckworth, B. P.; Lenevich, S.; Tann, C.-M.; Jenson, E. C.; Gruber, S. J.; Barany, G.; Distefano, M. D., Synthesis and Reactivity of 6,7-Dihydrogeranylazides: Reagents for Primary Azide Incorporation into Peptides and Subsequent Staudinger Ligation. Chem. Biol. Drug Des. 2006, 68, 85-96.