Dr. Innokentiy Maslennikov

Dr. Innokentiy Maslennikov

Assistant Professor, Research Faculty
Interim Vice Provost of Graduate Education
School of Pharmacy
Expertise: NMR Spectroscopy; Structural Biology; Membrane Proteins; Tight Junction; TGF-beta signaling;
Office Location: Rinker Health Science Campus 9501-218
Phone: 714-516-5448
Education:
Lomonosov Moscow State University, Master of Science
Moscow Institute of Physics and Technology, Ph.D.

Biography

Dr. Innokentiy Maslennikov joined the Chapman University School of Pharmacy on September 1st, 2015 as a research assistant professor of Biomedical and Pharmaceutical Sciences. Dr. Maslennikov graduated from Moscow State University in 1986 with a M.S. in Mathematics and Physics and received a Ph.D. in Biophysics at the Moscow Institute of Physics and Technology in 1993. In his Ph.D. thesis “Spatial structure of Bacteriorhodopsin transmembrane segments” Dr. Maslennikov combined experimental NMR technique with theoretical conformational analysis and described the detailed spatial structure of Bacteriorhodopsin transmembrane segments.

Since 1986 Dr. Maslennikov is working on application of biophysical methods to the problems of structural biology. Dr. Maslennikov is using NMR spectroscopy for structural and functional studies of membrane and membrane-associated peptides and proteins. Among the many targets he had studied are channel-forming antibiotic Gramicidin A, bacteriorhodopsin, neuronal and muscular Acetylcholine receptors, human ERG K+-channels, G-protein coupled receptors, transmembrane receptor kinases, snail, snake, and scorpion toxins, human membrane proteins, as well as other membrane proteins and their natural and synthetic ligands.

After obtaining Ph.D. degree Dr. Maslennikov has worked as a Senior Research Scientist in the Structural Biology Laboratory of the Shemyakin-Ovchinnikov Institute of Bioorganic Chemistry, Russian Academy of Sciences. During the years in the Russian Academy of Sciences (1993-2005) he initiated several projects to study structure and function of the membrane and membrane-associated proteins, developed new approaches to the analysis of structural NMR data, and served as scientific advisor for graduate and Ph.D. students.

Since his arrival at The Salk Institute for Biological Studies (La Jolla, CA) in 2006, Dr. Maslennikov has been a key investigator in projects on structural studies of membrane proteins by NMR spectroscopy. Additionally, he studied the physical basis of activation of the ion channels and participated in a large project on structural studies of transmembrane kinase receptors. Dr. Maslennikov developed a strategy for a cost-efficient structure determination of membrane proteins that has allowed him to quickly solve the backbone structures of membrane domains of three histidine kinase receptors and structures of six human membrane proteins by NMR spectroscopy. As a staff scientist and a co-Director of NMR facility, Dr. Maslennikov led an effort within The Salk Institute to facilitate the use of NMR spectroscopy and other biophysical methods by the Institute scientists.

Dr. Maslennikov’s publication record includes over 40 titles, including those appeared in leading journals such as the Proceedings of the National Academy of Sciences USA, Nature Methods, Current Opinion in Structural Biology, PLOS Biology, etc. He had presented his work at more than 20 national and international scientific meetings.

Research Interests

Dr. Maslennikov’s research is focused on application of NMR spectroscopy and other Biophysical methods to the problems of Biochemistry, Chemical Biology, and Structural Biology. Specific areas of interests include: (1) solution NMR spectroscopy for structural and functional studies of proteins and peptides, (2) Structural Biology of membrane proteins, (3) Structure and function of Claudin complexes in tight junctions, (4) Structure, function, and signaling of natural and synthetic TGF-β ligands. 

Recent Creative, Scholarly Work and Publications

Zafar H, Anis R, Hafeez S, Wahab AT, Khan MA, Basha FZ, Maslennikov I, Choudhary MI. Identification of Non-steroidal Aromatase Inhibitors via In silico and In vitro Studies. Med Chem. 2023;19(10):996-1001. doi: 10.2174/1573406419666230330082426. PMID: 37005533.
Tran H., Aalam F., Maslennikov I. DNA-induced structural changes in DNA-damage suppressor protein Dsup by NMR and circular dichroism. Biophysical Journal, 121(3S):178. doi:10.1016/j.bpj.2021.11.1815.
Lohan S, Konshina AG, Efremov RG, Maslennikov I, Parang K. Structure-Based Rational Design of Small a-Helical Peptides with Broad-Spectrum Activity against Multidrug-Resistant Pathogens. J Med Chem. 2023, 66(1):855-874. doi: 10.1021/acs.jmedchem.2c01708. PMID: 36574364
Lohan S, Mandal D, Choi W, Konshina AG, Tiwari RK, Efremov RG, Maslennikov I, Parang K. Small Amphiphilic Peptides: Activity Against a Broad Range of Drug-Resistant Bacteria and Structural Insight into Membranolytic Properties. J Med Chem. 2022, 65(1):665-687. doi: 10.1021/acs.jmedchem.1c01782. PMID: 34978443.
Herhaus L, van den Bedem H, Tang S, Maslennikov I, Wakatsuki S, Dikic I, Rahighi S*. Molecular Recognition of M1-Linked Ubiquitin Chains by Native and Phosphorylated UBAN Domains. J Mol Biol. 2019 Aug 9;431(17):3146-3156. doi: 10.1016/j.jmb.2019.06.012. Epub 2019 Jun 24. PubMed PMID: 31247202.
Bayrhuber M, Maslennikov I, Kwiatkowski W, Sobol AG, Wierschem C, Eichmann C, Frey L, Riek R*. NMR solution structure and functional behavior of the human proton channel. Biochemistry. 2019 Jul 31. doi: 10.1021/acs.biochem.9b00471. [Epub ahead of print] PubMed PMID: 31365236.
Eichmann C, Frey L, Maslennikov I, Riek R*. Probing Ion Binding in the Selectivity Filter of the KcsA Potassium Channel. J Am Chem Soc. 2019 May 8;141(18):7391-7398. doi: 10.1021/jacs.9b01092. Epub 2019 Apr 29. PubMed PMID: 30973010.
Ziaei, E; Saghaeidehkordi, A; Maslennikov, I; Chen, S; Kaur, K*. Targeting Triple Negative Breast Cancer Cells with Novel Cytotoxic Peptide-Doxorubicin Conjugates. Bioconjugate Chemistry, 2019 Dec 18;30(12):3098-3106. doi: 10.1021/acs.bioconjchem.9b00755. PubMed PMID: 31715102
S. Choe, I. Maslennikov, Y.C. Kim, N.Y. Park, Composition comprising an ab6 family designer ligand of tgf-beta superfamily for treating bone and cartilage disease and use thereof. WO2017209523, PCT/KR2017/005707, US62/343,367, Priority Date 05/31/2016, Publication Date 12/07/2017.
S. Choe, I. Maslennikov, Y.C. Kim, J.Y. Choi, Compositions comprising AB6 family designer ligands of TGF-beta superfamily for treating liver disease and use thereof. WO2017209522A1, PCT/KR2017/005706, US62/343,395, Priority Date 05/31/2016, Publication Date 12/07/2017.
Eichmann C, Tzitzilonis C, Nakamura T, Kwiatkowski W, Maslennikov I, Choe S, Lipton SA, Riek R. S-Nitrosylation Induces Structural and Dynamical Changes in a Rhodanese Family Protein. J. Mol. Biol. 2016, 428:3737-51. PMID: 27473602