Tai T. Wu

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Northwestern University
Dental School
Biochemistry
ProfessorAppointed: 1994
Northwestern University
Robert R. McCormick School of Engineering and Applied Sciences
Biomedical Engineering
ProfessorAppointed: 1994

Mailing Address

E267 Technical Institute
Northwestern University
Evanston, Illinois 60208
United States

Contact Information

Phone: (847) 491-7849
Fax: (847) 491-4928
t-wu@northwestern.edu
http://www.biochem.northwestern.edu/ibis/wu.html,http://www.northwestern.edu/bme/faculty/wu/html

Qualifications

Ph.D., Harvard University, Engineering, 1961.
S.M., Harvard University, Applied Physics, 1959.
B.S., University of Illinois, Mechanical Engineering, 1958.
M.B.,B.S. (2nd), University of Hong Kong, Medicine, 1956.

Expertise and Research Interests

Research Interests:
Structural and functional relations of proteins and DNA, especially those pertaining to immunoglobulins and related proteins. Our theoretical analyses of biological macromolecules may provide a unique insight into some of the fundamental problems in lifesciences.

Using pair-wise comparison of known distinct and complete nucleotide sequences of IG V-genes in our database at: http://immuno.bme.nwu.edu.
We have estimated the numbers of these genes as follows:
--------------------Human--------------------Mouse
IG lambda-------29-58 [~30-52]---------------(3-5)
IG kappa---------27-71 [~76]-------------76-134 [~140]
IG heavy-------116-175 [~115]----------------99-199

The numbers in brackets were determined experimentally during1994-1996 by Winter's, Zachau's, and Honjo's groups in England, Germany, and Japan, respectively. The agreements are remarkable. We have recently applied the same method to estimate TCR V-genes:

------------------Number of all---------Number of very
--------------------V-genes------------different V-genes
Human TCR-alpha------36-40------------------26-32
Human TCR-beta-----46-56 [~56]------------26-32 [~30]
Mouse TCR-alpha------55-74------------------17-28
Mouse TCR-beta-------24-28-------------------19

Again, the numbers in brackets are experimental values determined in 1996 by Hood's group.

A novel supercoiled DNA molecule can be constructed by connecting the ends of two mutually intercalating, double-stranded, antiparallel DNA ladders.Unlike conventional supercoils, these two complementary single-stranded DNA circles can separate without any breakage of the sugar-phosphate backbone. The long-range order imposed by this structure may be the reason why many biologically active DNA molecules are intact double-stranded circles.

Other Expertise

Business Experience:
Technology Corporate Partner liaison with Abbott Laboratories.

Keywords

COS Keywords:

Biochemistry, Cell Biology, Molecular Biology, Protein Structure, Proteins and Macromolecules, Recombinant Dna.

Additional Terms:

Protein Function, Protein Structure, Relation DNA, Secondary Structure.

Languages

(Reading, Writing, Speaking)

Chinese, Mandarin: (Fluent, Fluent, Fluent)
English: (Fluent, Fluent, Fluent)

Previous Positions

1974-1984, Professor, Northwestern University, Engineering Sciences, Biochemistry and Molecular Biology
1973-1974, Professor, Northwestern University, Engineering Sciences, Physics
1972, Acting Chairman, Northwestern University, Engineering Sciences
1970-1973, Associate Professor, Northwestern University, Physics and of Engineering Sciences
1968-1970, Associate Professor, Cornell University, Weill Medical College, Biomathematics
1967-1968, Assistant Professor, Cornell University, Weill Medical College, Biomathematics
1965-1967, Research Associate, Harvard University, Medical School, Biological Chemistry
1963-1965, Assistant Professor, Brown University, Division of Engineering
1961-1963, Research Fellow, Harvard University, Structural Mechanics
1984 - 1994, Northwestern University, Professor of Biochemistry, Molecular Biology and Cell Biology, of Biomedical Engineering, and of Engineering Sciences and Applied Mathematics

Patents

Cell Fractionation Method, Patent Number: 4224942, 1980, Northwestern University, United States of America.

Funding Received

  • National Institutes of Health (NIH): Sequences of Proteins of Immunological Interest, $180,927, 01/01/98 to 12/31/00.
  • Tabulation and Analysis of Sequences of Proteins of Immunological Interest, National Institutes of Health (NIH), $786,003 plus indirect cost, 01/01/94-12/31/98

Publications

  • G.Johnson, and T. T. Wu (1997) Profile of numbers of sequence differences among V-genes coding for the variable regions of T cell receptor for antigen alpha and beta chains. J.Mol.Evol.,44,253-257
  • G.Johnson, and T. T. Wu (1997) A method of estimating the numbers of human and mouse immunoglobulin V-genes. Genetics,145,777-786
  • R.Wu, and T. T. Wu (1996) A novel intact circular dsDNA supercoil. Bull. Math. Biol.,58,1171-1186
  • T.T. Wu (1996) Novel activity of topoisomerase I. Mol.Biol.Cell,7,101a
  • G.Johnson, E. A. Kabat, and T. T. Wu (1996) Kabat database of sequences of proteins of immunological interest. In Weir's Handbook Of Experimental Immunology I. Immunochemistry And Molecular Immunology, Fifth Edition, Ed. L. A. Herzenberg, W. M. Weir, L. A. Herzenberg and C. Blackwell, Blackwell Science Inc., Cambridge, MA, Chapter 6, pp. 6.1-6.21
  • G.Johnson, T. T. Wu, and E. A. Kabat (1995) 'Seqhunt, a program to screen aligned nucleotide and amino acid sequences' Methods In Molecular Biology, Vol. 51, Antibody Engineering Protocols. Ed. S. Paul, Humana Press, Inc., Totowea, NJ, Chapter 1, pp.1-15
  • T.T. Wu (1994). 'From esoteric theory to therapeutic antibodies' Applied Biochemistry & Biotechnology, 47: 107-117
  • T.T. Wu, and E. A. Kabat (1970) 'An analysis of the sequences of the variable regions of Bence Jones proteins and myeloma light chains and their implications for antibody complementarity' J. Exp. Med., 132: 211-250
  • T.T. Wu (1969) 'Secondary structures of DNA' Proc. Natl. Acad. Sci. USA, 63: 400-405

Profile Details

Last Updated: 2/21/2001

COS Expertise ID #413262
Reference this profile directly: http://myprofile.cos.com/ttwu