Pennsylvania State University

Group members underlined, corresponding authors starred

44. Sajeevan, K.A., Acharya, B., Ferdous, S., Park, D.M.*, Cotruvo, J.A., Jr.*, Chowdhury, R.* Computationally derived structural insights into rare earth selectivity in lanmodulin and its variants. Comput. Struct. Biotechnol. J. 2025, 27.

43. Larrinaga, W.B., Jung, J.J., Lin, C., Boal, A.K.*, and Cotruvo, J.A., Jr.* Modulating metal-centered dimerization of a lanthanide chaperone protein for separation of light lanthanides. Proc. Natl. Acad. Sci. U.S.A. 2024, 121, e2410926121. Featured in Penn State News.

42. Seidel, J., Diep, P., Dong, Z., Cotruvo, J.A., Jr., and Park, D.M.* EF-Hand Battle Royale: Hetero-ion Complexation in Lanmodulin. JACS Au. 2024, 4.

41. Alasadi, E.A., Choi, W., Chen, X., Cotruvo, J.A., Jr*, and Baiz, C.R.* Lanmodulin’s EF 2–3 Domain: Insights from Infrared Spectroscopy and Simulations. ACS Chem. Biol. 2024, 19, 1056-1065.

40. Dong, Z., Mattocks, J.A., Seidel, J.A., Cotruvo, J.A., Jr.,* and Park, D.M.* Protein-based approach for high-purity Sc, Y, and grouped lanthanide separation. Sep. Purif. Technol. 2024, 333, 125919.

39. Deblonde, G. J.-P.*, Morrison, K., Mattocks, J.A., Cotruvo, J.A., Jr., Zavarin, M., Kersting A.B. Impact of a Biological Chelator, Lanmodulin, on Minor Actinide Aqueous Speciation and Transport in the Environment. Environ. Sci. Technol. 2023, 57, 20830-20843.

38. Larrinaga, W.B., Cotruvo, J.A., Jr.*, Worrell, B.T., Eaton, S.S., and Eaton, G.R.*, Electron Paramagnetic Resonance, Electronic Ground State, and Electron Spin Relaxation of Seven Lanthanide Ions Bound to Lanmodulin and the Bioinspired Chelator, 3,4,3-LI(1,2-HOPO). Chem. Eur. J. 2023, 29, e202303215.

37. Mattocks, J.A., Jung, J.J. Lin, C.-Y., Dong, Z., Yennawar, N.H., Featherston, E.R., Kang-Yun, C.S., Hamilton, T.A., Park, D.M.*, Boal, A.K.*, and Cotruvo, J.A., Jr.* Enhanced rare-earth separation with a metal-sensitive lanmodulin dimer. Nature. 2023, 618, 87–93. Featured in C&EN, and News and Views.

36. Martin, K. E., Mattocks, J. A., Śmiłowicz, D., Aluicio-Sarduy, E., Whetter, J. N., Engle, J. W., Cotruvo, J. A., Jr.*, and Boros, E*. Radiolabeling and in vivo evaluation of lanmodulin with biomedically relevant lanthanide isotopes. RSC Chem. Biol. 2023, 4, 414–421.

35. Park, J., Cleary, M.B., Li, D., Mattocks, J.A., Xu, J. Wang, H., Mukhopadhyay, S., Gale, E.M., and Cotruvo, J.A., Jr.* Genetically encoded fluorescent sensor for manganese(II), engineered from lanmodulin. Proc. Natl. Acad. Sci. U.S.A. 2022, 119, e2212723119. Featured in a Penn State News Highlight.

34. Park, J., Xu, J., and Cotruvo, J.A., Jr.* Fluorescent biosensors for manganese(II) and iron(II). Chapter 4 in Metal Ions in Life Sciences, Vol. 23, Molecular Bio-Sensors Involving Metal Ions. Ed. T.J. Meade. CRC Press. p. 85-116. Invited book chapter

33. Mattocks, J. A., Cotruvo, J. A., Jr.*, and Deblonde, G. J.-P.* Engineering lanmodulin’s selectivity for actinides over lanthanides by controlling solvent coordination and second-sphere interactions. Chem. Sci. 2022, 13, 6054–6066. Featured in Phys.org

32. Xu, J., and Cotruvo, J.A., Jr.* Iron-responsive riboswitches. Curr. Opin. Chem. 2022, 68, 102135. Invited review

31. Xu, J., and Cotruvo, J.A., Jr.* Reconsidering the czcD (NiCo) riboswitch as an iron riboswitch. ACS Bio Med Chem Au 2022, 2, 376-385. Cover article

30. Dong, Z., Mattocks, J.A., Deblonde, G.J.-P., Hu, D., Jiao, Y., Cotruvo, J.A., Jr.*, Park, D.M.* Bridging hydrometallurgy and biochemistry: A protein-based process for recovery and separation of rare earth elements. ACS Cent. Sci., 2021, 7, 1798-1808. Featured in BBC Interview, C&E News, “Unlocking the lanthanome”, C&E News cover story, ACS Cent Sci First Reactions, Nature Biotechnology highlight, Asia Times, Penn State News.

29. Deblonde, G.J.-P.*, Mattocks, J.A., Dong, Z., Wooddy, T., Cotruvo, J.A., Jr.*, and Bavarian, M. Capturing an elusive but critical element: Natural protein enables actinium chemistry. Sci. Adv. 2021, 7, eabk0273. Featured in Science, American Nuclear Society, “Unlocking the lanthanome”, C&E News cover story, LLNL, and Penn State News Highlights.

28. Liu, S., Featherston, E.R., Cotruvo, J.A., Jr.*, and Baiz, C.R.* Lanthanide-dependent coordination interactions in lanmodulin: A 2D IR and molecular dynamics simulations study. Phys. Chem. Chem. Phys., 2021, 23, 21690-21700. Named a “PCCP HOT Article”

27. Deblonde, G.J.-P.*, Mattocks, J.A., Wang, H., Gale, E.M., Kersting, A.B., Zavarin, M., and Cotruvo, J.A., Jr. * Characterization of americium and curium complexes of the protein lanmodulin: a potential macromolecular mechanism for actinide mobility in the environment. J. Am. Chem. Soc., 2021, 143, 15769-15783. Featured in Scientific American, “Unlocking the lanthanome”, American Nuclear Society, and LLNL news story.

26. Featherston, E.R., Issertell, E.J., and Cotruvo, J.A., Jr.* Probing lanmodulin’s lanthanide recognition via sensitized luminescence yields a platform for quantification of terbium in acid mine drainage. J. Am. Chem. Soc. 2021, 143, 14287-14299. Featured in NSF, Eos (American Geophysical Union), Photonics Spectra, “Unlocking the lanthanome”, and Penn State News.

25. Mattocks, J.A., Tirsch, J.L., and Cotruvo, J.A., Jr.* Determination of affinities of lanthanide-binding proteins using chelator-buffered titrations. Meth. Enzymol. 2021, 651, 23-61.

24. Featherston, E.R., Mattocks, J.A., Tirsch, J.L., and Cotruvo, J.A., Jr.* Heterologous expression, purification, and characterization of proteins in the lanthanome. Meth. Enzymol. 2021, 650, 119-157. 

23. Featherston, E.R., and Cotruvo, J.A., Jr.* The biochemistry of lanthanide acquisition, trafficking, and utilization. Biochim. Biophys. Acta, Mol. Cell Res. 2021, 1868, 118864. Invited review for Cell Biology of Metals III special issue

22. Mattocks, J.A., and Cotruvo, J.A., Jr.* Biological, bimolecular, and bio-inspired strategies for detection, extraction, and separations of lanthanides and actinides. Chem. Soc. Rev. 2020, 49, 8315-8334. Invited review for 2020 Emerging Investigators Special Issue

21. Deblonde, G.J.-P.*, Mattocks, J.A., Park, D.M., Reed, D.W., Cotruvo, J.A., Jr.*, and Jiao, Y. Selective and Efficient Biomacromolecular Extraction of Rare-Earth Elements using Lanmodulin. Inorg. Chem. 2020, 59, 11855-11867. Featured in C&E News, Inside the Lab video, IEEE Spectrum, and Seeker. Featured article and supplementary cover

20. Xu, J., and Cotruvo, J.A., Jr.*, The czcD (NiCo) Riboswitch Responds to Iron (II). Biochemistry 2020, 59, 1508-1516. Featured in C&E News.

19. Cotruvo, J.A., Jr.* The chemistry of lanthanides in biology: recent discoveries, emerging principles, and technological applications. ACS Cent. Sci. 2019, 5, 1496-1506. Invited review

18. Ho, J.V., and Cotruvo, J.A., Jr.* A periplasmic binding protein for pyrroloquinoline quinone. Biochemistry 2019, 58, 2665-2669.

17. Featherston, E.R., Rose, H.R., McBride, M.J., E.M. Taylor, Boal, A.K.*, and Cotruvo, J.A., Jr.* Biochemical and structural characterization of XoxG and XoxJ and their roles in activity of the lanthanide-dependent methanol dehydrogenase, XoxF. ChemBioChem 2019, 20, 2360-2372. Featured in the ChemBioTalents issue and selected as a “Very Important Paper.”

16. Mattocks, J.A., Ho, J.V., and Cotruvo, J.A., Jr.* A selective, protein-based fluorescent sensor with picomolar affinity for rare earth elements. J. Am. Chem. Soc. 2019, 141, 2857-2861. Featured in a JACS Spotlight and a Penn State news story.

15. Cook, E.C., Featherston, E.R., Showalter, S.A.*, and Cotruvo, J.A., Jr.* Structural basis for rare earth element recognition by Methylobacterium extorquens lanmodulin. Biochemistry, 2019, 58, 120-125. Featured in C&E News and Nature Chemical Biology.

14. Cotruvo, J.A., Jr.*, Featherston, E.R., Mattocks, J.A., Ho, J.V., and Laremore, T.N. Lanmodulin: A highly selective lanthanide-binding protein from a lanthanide-utilizing bacterium. J. Am. Chem. Soc. 2018, 140, 15056-15061. Featured in C&E News and Nature Chemical Biology.

Prior to Penn State

13.  Krishnamoorthy, L., Cotruvo, J.A., Jr., Chan, J., Kaluarachchi, H., Muchenditsi, A., Pendyala, V.S., Jia, S., Aron, A.T., Vander Wal, M.N., Guan, T., Smaga, L.P., Farhi, S.S., New, E.J., Lutsenko, S., and Chang, C.J. Copper regulates cyclic AMP-dependent lipolysis. Nat. Chem. Biol. 2016, 12, 586-592.  (*Denotes equal contribution)

12.  Aron, A.T., Ramos-Torres, K.M., Cotruvo, J.A., Jr., and Chang, C.J.  Recognition- and reactivity-based fluorescent probes for studying transition metal signaling in living systems.  Acc. Chem. Res. 2015, 48, 2434-2442.

11.  Cotruvo, J.A., Jr., Aron, A.T., Ramos-Torres, K.M., and Chang, C.J.  Synthetic fluorescent probes for studying copper in biological systems.  Chem. Soc. Rev. 2015, 44, 4400-4414.

10.  Cotruvo, J.A., Jr., Stich, T.A., Britt, R.D., and Stubbe, J.  Mechanism of assembly of the dimanganese-tyrosyl radical cofactor of class Ib ribonucleotide reductase: Enzymatic generation of superoxide is required for tyrosine oxidation via a Mn(III)Mn(IV) intermediate.  J. Am. Chem. Soc. 2013, 135, 4027-4039.

9.  Cotruvo, J.A., Jr. and Stubbe, J. Metallation and mismetallation of iron and manganese proteins in vitro and in vivo: the class I ribonucleotide reductases as a case study. Metallomics 2012, 4, 1020-1036. 

8.  Boal, A.K., Cotruvo, J.A., Jr., Stubbe, J., and Rosenzweig, A.C.  The dimanganese(II) site of Bacillus subtilis class Ib ribonucleotide reductase.  Biochemistry 2012, 51, 3861-3871.

7.  Cotruvo, J.A., Jr. and Stubbe, J.  Class I ribonucleotide reductases: Metallocofactor assembly and repair in vitro and in vivo.  Annu. Rev. Biochem. 2011, 80, 733-767.

6.  Cotruvo, J.A., Jr. and Stubbe, J.  Escherichia coli class Ib ribonucleotide reductase contains a dimanganese(III)-tyrosyl radical cofactor in vivo.  Biochemistry 2011, 50, 1672-1681.

5.  Stubbe, J. and Cotruvo, J.A., Jr.  Control of metallation and active cofactor assembly in the class Ia and Ib ribonucleotide reductases: diiron or dimanganese?  Curr. Opin. Chem. Biol. 2011, 15, 284-290.

4.  Boal, A.K., Cotruvo, J.A., Jr., Stubbe, J., and Rosenzweig, A.C.  Structural basis for activation of class Ib ribonucleotide reductase.  Science 2010, 329, 1526-1530.                                                                                                                           

3.  Cotruvo, J.A., Jr. and Stubbe, J.  An active dimanganese(III)-tyrosyl radical cofactor in Escherichia coli class Ib ribonucleotide reductase.  Biochemistry 2010, 49, 1297-1309.

2.  Cotruvo, J.A., Jr. and Stubbe, J.  NrdI, a flavodoxin involved in maintenance of the diferric-tyrosyl radical cofactor in Escherichia coli class Ib ribonucleotide reductase.  Proc. Natl. Acad. Sci. U.S.A. 2008, 105, 14383-14388.

1.  Stubbe, J. and Cotruvo, J.A., Jr.  Ribonucleotide reductase: recent advances.  In Handbook of Metalloproteins, ed. A. Messerschmidt, Wiley (online).  2008, doi: 10.1002/0470028637.met229.  http://onlinelibrary.wiley.com/doi/10.1002/0470028637.met229/abstract.