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Oscar Vargas-Rodriguez, PhDAssistant Professor, Department of Molecular Biology and Biophysics
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Education
Post-Graduate Training
| Degree | Institution | Major |
|---|---|---|
| BS | Pontifical Catholic University of Puerto Rico | Chemistry |
| PhD | The Ohio State University | Biological Chemistry |
Post-Graduate Training
| Training | Institution | Specialty |
|---|---|---|
| Postdoctoral | Yale University | Department of Molecular Biophysics & Biochemistry |
We are a bacteriology lab studying the molecular bases that enable pathogenic bacteria to endure, acclimate, and prevail in the unwelcoming conditions of their host. Our research seeks to understand how bacterial pathogens regulate protein synthesis (translation) in response to interactions with their host, especially during colonization and infection.
Our research focuses on the function of a family of translation factors known as aminoacyl-tRNA synthetases (aaRS). These enzymes are indispensable for life as they are responsible for the accurate and efficient translation of the genetic code during gene expression. We aim to understand the biological role of aaRSs during host-pathogen interactions as potential virulence factors and druggable targets using a combination of biochemical, biophysical, molecular, cellular, multi-omics, and computational approaches.
In addition to our commitment to rigorous and innovative research, we strive to create a collegial and inclusive environment wherein our team trainees are supported and empowered to accomplish their career goals.
Our lab offers diverse research opportunities for trainees at different career stages.
Accepting Lab Rotation Students: Fall Block 2024, Spring 1 and 2 Block 2025
Email Oscar for more information.
Journal Articles
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AARS Online: A collaborative database on the structure, function, and evolution of the aminoacyl-tRNA synthetases.
IUBMB life 2024 Dec;76(12):1091-1105
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Coexisting bacterial aminoacyl-tRNA synthetase paralogs exhibit distinct phylogenetic backgrounds and functional compatibility with Escherichia coli.
IUBMB life 2024 Dec;76(12):1139-1153
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Efficient suppression of premature termination codons with alanine by engineered chimeric pyrrolysine tRNAs.
Nucleic acids research 2024 Nov;
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Engineered mRNA-ribosome fusions for facile biosynthesis of selenoproteins.
Proceedings of the National Academy of Sciences of the United States of America 2024 Mar;121(11):e2321700121
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Mistranslation of the genetic code by a new family of bacterial transfer RNAs.
The Journal of biological chemistry 2023 Jul;299(7):104852
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Dual incorporation of non-canonical amino acids enables production of post-translationally modified selenoproteins.
Frontiers in molecular biosciences 2023 Jan;101096261
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Uncovering translation roadblocks during the development of a synthetic tRNA.
Nucleic acids research 2022 Oct;50(18):10201-10211
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The tRNA discriminator base defines the mutual orthogonality of two distinct pyrrolysyl-tRNA synthetase/tRNAPyl pairs in the same organism.
Nucleic acids research 2022 May;50(8):4601-4615
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Bacterial translation machinery for deliberate mistranslation of the genetic code.
Proceedings of the National Academy of Sciences of the United States of America 2021 Aug;118(35):
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Genetic Encoding of Three Distinct Noncanonical Amino Acids Using Reprogrammed Initiator and Nonsense Codons.
ACS chemical biology 2021 Apr;16(4):766-774
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Human trans-editing enzyme displays tRNA acceptor-stem specificity and relaxed amino acid selectivity.
The Journal of biological chemistry 2020 Nov;295(48):16180-16190
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A cysteinyl-tRNA synthetase variant confers resistance against selenite toxicity and decreases selenocysteine misincorporation.
The Journal of biological chemistry 2019 Aug;294(34):12855-12865
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Engineered Aminoacyl-tRNA Synthetases with Improved Selectivity toward Noncanonical Amino Acids.
ACS chemical biology 2019 Apr;14(4):603-612
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Mechanistic insights into the slow peptide bond formation with D-amino acids in the ribosomal active site.
Nucleic acids research 2019 Feb;47(4):2089-2100
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Effects of Heterologous tRNA Modifications on the Production of Proteins Containing Noncanonical Amino Acids.
Bioengineering (Basel, Switzerland) 2018 Feb;5(1):
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Engineering posttranslational proofreading to discriminate nonstandard amino acids.
Proceedings of the National Academy of Sciences of the United States of America 2018 Jan;115(3):619-624
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Recoding of the selenocysteine UGA codon by cysteine in the presence of a non-canonical tRNACys and elongation factor SelB.
RNA biology 2018 Jan;15(4-5):471-479
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Double mimicry evades tRNA synthetase editing by toxic vegetable-sourced non-proteinogenic amino acid.
Nature communications 2017 Dec;8(1):2281
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A genomically modified Escherichia coli strain carrying an orthogonal E. coli histidyl-tRNA synthetase•tRNAHis pair.
Biochimica et biophysica acta. General subjects 2017 Nov;1861(11 Pt B):3009-3015
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Conformational and chemical selection by a trans-acting editing domain.
Proceedings of the National Academy of Sciences of the United States of America 2017 Aug;114(33):E6774-E6783
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Transfer RNAs with novel cloverleaf structures.
Nucleic acids research 2017 Mar;45(5):2776-2785
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Emergent rules for codon choice elucidated by editing rare arginine codons in Escherichia coli.
Proceedings of the National Academy of Sciences of the United States of America 2016 Sep;113(38):E5588-97
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Homologous trans-editing factors with broad tRNA specificity prevent mistranslation caused by serine/threonine misactivation.
Proceedings of the National Academy of Sciences of the United States of America 2015 May;112(19):6027-32
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Ancestral AlaX editing enzymes for control of genetic code fidelity are not tRNA-specific.
The Journal of biological chemistry 2015 Apr;290(16):10495-503
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Distinct tRNA recognition strategies used by a homologous family of editing domains prevent mistranslation.
Nucleic acids research 2014 Apr;42(6):3943-53
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Exclusive use of trans-editing domains prevents proline mistranslation.
The Journal of biological chemistry 2013 May;288(20):14391-14399
Reviews
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The central role of transfer RNAs in mistranslation.
The Journal of biological chemistry 2024 Sep;300(9):107679
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Suppressor tRNAs at the interface of genetic code expansion and medicine.
Frontiers in genetics 2024 Jan;151420331
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The role of tRNA identity elements in aminoacyl-tRNA editing.
Frontiers in microbiology 2024 Jan;151437528
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Diversification of aminoacyl-tRNA synthetase activities via genomic duplication.
Frontiers in physiology 2022 Jan;13983245
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Plasticity and Constraints of tRNA Aminoacylation Define Directed Evolution of Aminoacyl-tRNA Synthetases.
International journal of molecular sciences 2019 May;20(9):
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Upgrading aminoacyl-tRNA synthetases for genetic code expansion.
Current opinion in chemical biology 2018 Oct;46115-122
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The central role of tRNA in genetic code expansion.
Biochimica et biophysica acta. General subjects 2017 Nov;1861(11 Pt B):3001-3008
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Structural biology: wobble puts RNA on target.
Nature 2014 Jun;510(7506):480-1
| Title or Abstract | Type | Sponsor/Event | Date/Year | Location |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Engineered tRNAs for translation of nonsense mutations | Talk | 2023 | Yale University | |
| Alternative translation of the genetic code by natural and artificial transfer RNAs. | Talk | 2023 | UConn Health - Genetics and Genome Sciences |