Indiana State University : Department of Chemistry : Jennifer K. Inlow

Jennifer K. Inlow

Assistant Professor
Biochemistry
Bioinformatics

B.A., 1995, Jamestown College
Ph.D., 2001, Texas A&M University

Postdoctoral Experience
2001-2003 University of Arizona

Adjunct Assistant Professor, University of Arizona, Arizona Research Laboratories Division of Neurobiology

Office: S-035P
Phone: (812) 237-2242
E-mail: inlow@carbon.indstate.edu

Research Interests

Dr. Inlow's current research program reflects her long-standing interests in the relationship between protein sequence and structure, protein structure prediction, and structural bioinformatics. She is using bioinformatics tools to analyze the amino acid sequences of the enzyme tyrosinase from a variety of organisms in order to make predictions of structure and posttranslational modifications. So far, structures have been determined experimentally only for tyrosinase from sweet potato and from a single species of bacteria. Dr. Inlow is developing homology models for the structures of tyrosinases from other species and using bioinformatics methods to detect phosphorylation, glycosylation, proteolytic, and other posttranslational modification sites within the sequences of various plant and fungal tyrosinases to learn about the in vivo function of these enzymes.

Selected Publications

Flurkey, W. H., and Inlow, J. K. (2008) "Proteolytic processing of polyphenol oxidase from plants and fungi." J Inorg Biochem 102:2160-2170.

Flurkey, A., Cooksey, J., Reddy, A., Spoonmore, K., Rescigno, A., Inlow, J., Flurkey, W. H. (2008) "Enzyme, protein, carbohydrate, and phenolic contaminants in commercial tyrosinase preparations: potential problems affecting tyrosinase activity and inhibition studies." J Agric Food Chem 56:4760-4768.

Inlow, J. K., Miller, P., and Pittman, B. (2007) "Introductory bioinformatics exercises utilizing hemoglobin and chymotrypsin to reinforce the protein sequence- structure-function relationship." Biochem Mol Biol Educ 35:119-124.

Rescigno, A., Zucca, P., Flurkey, A., Inlow, J., and Flurkey, W. H. (2007) "Identification and discrimination between some contaminant enzyme activities in commercial preparations of mushroom tyrosinase." Enzyme Microb Technol 41:620-627.

Marusek, C. M., Trobaugh, N. M., Flurkey, W. H., and Inlow, J. K. (2006) "Comparative analysis of polyphenol oxidase from plant and fungal species." J Inorg Biochem 100:108-123.

Inlow, J. K., and Restifo, L. L. (2004) "Molecular and comparative genetics of mental retardation." Genetics 166:835-881.

Inlow, J. K., and Baldwin, T. O. (2002) "Mutational analysis of the subunit interface of Vibrio harveyi bacterial luciferase." Biochemistry 41:3906-3915.

Kelly, J. W., Colon, W., Lai, Z., Lashuel, H. A., McCulloch (Inlow), J., McCutchen, S. L., Miroy, G. J., and Peterson, S. A. (1997) "Transthyretin quaternary and tertiary structural changes facilitate misassembly into amyloid." Adv Protein Chem 50:161-181.

Lai, Z., McCulloch (Inlow), J., Lashuel, H. A., and Kelly, J. W. (1997) "Guanidine hydrochloride-induced denaturation and refolding of transthyretin exhibits a marked hysteresis: equilibria with high kinetic barriers." Biochemistry 36: 10230-10239.