Hui Xu

Hui Xu joined the Department of Chemistry and Biochemistry in the Fall of 2013, and she joined the Goodwin laboratory in May of 2014. Hui Xu's undergraduate degree was in Health Sciences, so this represented a considerable shift in emphasis for her. In addition to taking courses above and beyond those taken by our typical graduate students, Hui's research investigated the connection between the unique arginine switch of KatG enzymes and off-catalase radical transfer. Her studies took her into site-directed mutagenesis, steady-state kinetic evaluation, stopped-flow rapid reaction analyses, and rapid freeze-quench EPR. Hui Xu completed her studies with a successful defense of her dissertation on June 11, 2020. Her dissertation is titled: How an Arginine Switch Promotes the Self-preservation of a Hydrogen Peroxide-degrading Enzyme KatG: the Strategic Use of an Active-Site Tryptophan. Dr. Xu first engaged in postdoctoral research in the laboratory of Professor Aimin Liu at the University of Texas, San Antonio. In the Spring of 2022, Dr. Xu accepted a position as a Senior Scientist with Frontage Laboratories.

Publications and Abstracts

Aziz, T., Barton, C. M., Krewall, J. R., Xu, H., and Goodwin, D. C. Toward identification of intermediates in the formation of a novel protein-based cofactor. Gordon Research Conference: Enzymes, Coenzymes, and Metabolic Pathways, Waterville Valley, NH, July 21 - 27, 2019.

McWhorter, K., Xu, H., and Goodwin, D. C. Use of multiple active-site tryptophans to direct off-catalase electron transfer and sustain the activity of a peroxide-detoxifying enzyme. Southeast Regional Meeting of American Chemical Society (SERMACS), Augusta, GA, November 2, 2018.

McWhorter, K., Xu, H., and Goodwin, D. C. Tryptophans in tandem: How to sustain KatG catalase activity with peroxidatic electron donors. Herty Medal Undergraduate Research Symposium 2018, Lawrenceville, GA, September 21, 2018.

Xu, H., Njuma, O., and Goodwin, D. C. 2018. How an arginine switch promotes the self-preservation of an H₂O₂-degrading enzyme. 9^th Annual Southeast Enzyme Conference, Atlanta, GA, (04/07/18).

Xu, H., Krewall, J. R., Njuma, O. J., and Goodwin, D. C. 2017. How an arginine switch preserves the catalase activity of KatG: Strategic use of an active-site tryptophan for off-pathway electron transfer. 46^th Annual Southeast Magnetic Resonance Conference, Tallahassee, FL, (10/29/17).

Xu, H., Krewall, J. R., Njuma, O. J., Davis, I., Liu, A., and Goodwin, D. C. 2017. Using an arginine switch and an active site tryptophan to direct off-pathway electron transfer: Maximizing catalase activity from a peroxidase scaffold. Gordon Research Conference: Enzymes, Coenzymes, and Metabolic Pathways, Waterville Valley, NH, (7/16/17 – 7/21/17).

Krewall, J. R., Xu, H., Njuma, O. J., and Goodwin, D. C. 2017. Directing off-pathway protein oxidation to preserve enzyme activity: At last, a role for the proximal tryptophan of KatG. 8^th Annual Southeast Enzyme Conference, Atlanta, GA, (04/08/17).

Xu, H., Krewall, J. R., Njuma, O. J., and Goodwin, D. C. 2017. How an arginine switch preserves the catalase activity of KatG: Strategic use of an active-site tryptophan for off-pathway electron transfer. 8^th Annual Southeast Enzyme Conference, Atlanta, GA, (04/08/17).