Mark O. Lively
Professor of Biochemistry, and Director of Molecular Genetics Program 

B.S., 1975 Georgia Institute of Technology 
Ph.D., 1978 Georgia Institute of Technology 

The primary focus of this laboratory is on the cellular roles and mechanisms of catalysis of novel proteolytic enzymes involved in the processing and secretion of proteins from eukaryotic cells. A major objective is to describe the enzymatic mechanism of microsomal signal peptidase, an endopeptidase of the endoplasmic reticulum that is an essential component of the biosynthetic pathway of most secretory proteins. The first known inhibitors of signal peptidases have been discovered in this lab and are being used to identify the active site amino acid residues of this novel proteinase. Site directed mutagenesis of a signal peptidase substrate produced by bacterial expression is being used to explore the specificity requirements of the enzyme.

Dr. Lively is the director of the Biomolecular Resource Facility at Wake Forest. This laboratory includes four core laboratory components: the Protein Analysis Core Lab, the DNA Synthesis Core Lab, the DNA Sequence and Gene Analysis Core Lab and the Bioinformatice Resource. The Protein Analysis Core lab provides a proteomics techniques for analysis and identification of proteins. The laboratory performs high sensitivity amino acid sequence analysis of proteins and peptides, chemical synthesis of peptides, quantitative amino acid composition analyses, as well as high performance chromatography methods for purification of peptides and proteins. The DNA Synthesis Core Lab provides custom synthesized deoxy oligonucleotides for investigators at WFU. The DNA Sequence and Gene Analysis Core performs automated DNA sequence analysis using a PE Biosystems Model 377 DNA sequencer for laboratories. Dr. Lively also manages a bioinformatics server that provides software and databases for genetic analysis. The server hosts the Wisconsin Sequence Analysis Software package provided by the Genetics Computer Group, Inc. (GCG) for use by investigators at Wake Forest University. 

Recent Publications (selected):