Olga Gursky, PhD

Professor, Boston University Chobanian & Avedisian School of Medicine

Biography

Our research focus is on protein folding, structure and stability. It includes the analysis of the energetic-structure-function relationship and folding pathways in proteins and peptides by circular dichroism spectroscopy, differential scanning calorimetry, fluorescence, x-ray crystallography, and site-directed mutagenesis.

Our on-going NIH-funded work is aimed at understanding the energetic and structural basis for the conformational plasticity of apolipoproteins. These are protein constituents of lipoproteins that mediate lipid transport and metabolism and are central in the pathogenesis of atherosclerosis, stroke, and certain forms of amyloidosis. Apolipoproteins are distinct in their structural adaptability to various lipoprotein particles and to plasma. We try to understand in molecular detail the energetic and structural basis for this adaptability.

A major focus of our research is on the molecular mechanisms of lipoprotein stabilization and fusion. In 2002 we revealed that lipoprotein stability is determined by kinetic barriers. Similar barriers may modulate in-vivo lipoprotein transformations. Our goal is to obtain key molecular determinants for these energy barriers.

Publications

  • Published 7/1/2025

    Hicks CW, Prokaeva T, Spencer B, Jayaraman S, Huda N, Wong S, Chen H, Sanchorawala V, Lavatelli F, Gursky O. Cryo-EM of cardiac AL-224L amyloid reveals shared features in ?6 light chain fibril folds. bioRxiv. 2025 Jul 01. PMID: 40631131.

    Read at: PubMed

  • Published 3/29/2025

    Prokaeva T, Jayaraman S, Klimtchuk E, Burke N, Spencer B, Nedelkov D, Chen H, Dasari S, McPhail ED, Pereira L, Payne MC, Wong S, Burks EJ, Sanchorawala V, Gursky O. An unusual phenotype of hereditary AApoAI amyloidosis caused by a novel Asp20Tyr substitution is linked to pH-dependent aggregation of apolipoprotein A-I. Biochim Biophys Acta Mol Basis Dis. 2025 Jun; 1871(5):167820. PMID: 40164396.

    Read at: PubMed

  • Published 2/13/2025

    Jayaraman S, Urdaneta A, Fandrich M, Gursky O. Serum Amyloid A Binding to Glycosaminoglycans is Synergistic with Amyloid Formation: Therapeutic Targeting in the Inflammation-linked Amyloidosis. J Mol Biol. 2025 Apr 15; 437(8):169007. PMID: 39954777.

    Read at: PubMed

  • Published 12/17/2024

    Abraham CB, Lewkowicz E, Gursky O, Straub JE. Elucidating the Mechanism of Recognition and Binding of Heparin to Amyloid Fibrils of Serum Amyloid A. Biochemistry. 2025 Jan 07; 64(1):266-276. PMID: 39688935.

    Read at: PubMed

  • Published 10/28/2024

    Klimtchuk ES, Prokaeva T, Spencer BH, Wong S, Ghosh S, Urdaneta A, Morgan G, Wales TE, Gursky O. Conformational Differences in the Light Chain Constant Domain of Immunoglobulin G and Free Light Chain May Influence Proteolysis in AL Amyloidosis. J Mol Biol. 2024 Dec 01; 436(23):168837. PMID: 39490919.

    Read at: PubMed

View All 104 Publications:   View Full Profile in BUMC

Other Positions

  • Member, Amyloidosis Center
    Boston University
  • Graduate Faculty (Primary Mentor of Grad Students)
    Boston University Chobanian & Avedisian School of Medicine, Graduate Medical Sciences

Websites

Education

  • Brandeis University, PhD
  • Moscow State University, MS

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