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education and employment

  present-2007 Assistant Investigator at the Ludwig Institute for Cancer Research

2007-2001 Research Associate at the Ludwig Institute for Cancer Research with Professor Richard D. Kolodner.

2001-2000 Research Associate at the Scripps Research Institute with Professor John A. Tainer in the Department of Molecular Biology.

2000-1994 Ph.D. in Macromolecular and Cellular Structure and Chemistry. The Scripps Research Institute, La Jolla, California. Thesis work with Professor John A. Tainer entited "Structural Basis for Four Paradigmatic Defenses Preventing DNA Damage in the Cell."

1994-1990 Bachelor of Arts in Chemistry with a concentration in Biochemistry. Washington University in St. Louis, Missouri. Graduated summa cum laude with a GPA of 4.0/4.0

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publications
 

Putnam C.D., Hammel M., Hura, G.L., Tainer, J. A. 2007. Modeling flexible and disordered molecular assemblies using X-ray crystallography and small-angle X-ray scattering. Quart. Rev. Biophysics. In press.

Kolodner, R.D., Mendillo, M. L., Putnam, C.D. 2007. Coupling distant sites in DNA during DNA mismatch repair. Proc Natl Acad Sci USA. 104, 12953-12954.

Shell, S., Putnam, C.D., and Kolodner, R.D. 2007. Biochemical and genetic analysis of an Msh6 derivative with the mispair recognition specificity of Msh3. Proc Natl Acad Sci USA. 104: 10956-10961.

Mendillo M.*, Putnam, C.D.*, and Kolodner, R.D. 2007. Escherichia coli MutS tetramer solution structure and crystal structure of tetramerization domain reveals that tetramerization is not required for mismatch repair. J. Biol. Chem. 282, 16345-16354. (*Equal contribution.)

Shell, S.*, Putnam, C.D.*, and Kolodner, R.D. 2007. The N-terminus of yeast Msh6 is an unstructured tether to PCNA. Molecular Cell. 26, 565-578. (*Equal contribution)

Aksentijevich, I.*, Putnam, C.D.*, Remmers, E.F., Mueller, J.L., Le, J., Kolodner, R.D., Moak, Z., Chuang, M., Austin, F., Goldbach-Mansky, R., Hoffman, H.M., and Kastner, D.L. 2006. The clinical continuum of cryopyrinopathies: novel CIAS1 mutations in the North American cohort of patients and a new cryopyrin model. Arthritis Rheumatology 56, 1273-1285. (*Equal contribution.)

KH Schmidt, V Pennaneach, CD Putnam, RD Kolodner. 2006. Analysis of gross chromosomal rearrangements in Saccharomyces cerevisiae. Methods in Enzymology 409: 462-476.

V Pennaneach, CD Putnam, RD Kolodner. 2006. Chromosome healing by de novo telomere addition in Saccharomyces cerevisiae. Molecular Microbiology 59: 1357-1368.

CD Putnam, JA Tainer. 2005. Protein mimicry of DNA and pathway regulation. DNA Repair 4: 1410-1420.

CD Putnam, V Pennaneach, RD Kolodner. 2005. Saccharomyces cerevisiae as a model system to define the chromosomal instability phenotype. Molecular and Cellular Biology 25: 7226-7238.

Y Wang, CD Putnam, MF Kane, W Zhang, L Edelmann, R Russell, DV Carrion, L Chin, R Kucherlapati, RD Kolodner. 2005. Mutation in Rpa1 results in defective DNA double-strand break repair, chromosomal instability and cancer in mice. Nature Genetics 37: 750-755.

CD Putnam, V Pennaneach, RD Kolodner. 2004. Chromosome healing through terminal deletions generated by de novo telomere additions in Saccharomyces cerevisiae. Proceedings of the National Academy of Sciences 101: 13262-13267.

DP Barondeau, CD Putnam, CJ Kassmann, JA Tainer, ED Getzoff. 2003. Mechanism and energetics of green fluorescent protein chromophore synthesis revealed by trapped intermediate structures. Proceedings of the National Academy of Sciences 100: 12111-12116.

RD Kolodner, CD Putnam, and K Myung. 2002. Maintenance of genome stability in Saccharomyces cerevisiae. Science 297: 552-557.

D Balicki, CD Putnam, PV Scaria, and E Beutler. 2002. Structure and function correlation in histone H2A peptide-mediated gene transfer. Proceedings of the National Academy of Sciences 99: 7467-7471.

KP Hopfner, CD Putnam, and JA Tainer. 2002. DNA double-strand break repair from head to tail. Current Opinions in Structural Biology 12: 115-122.

CD Putnam, CB Clancy, H Tsuruta, S Gonzalez, JG Wetmur, and JA Tainer. 2001. Structure and mechanism of the RuvB Holliday junction branch migration motor. Journal of Molecular Biology 311: 297-310.

DJ Hosfield, CD Mol, SS Parikh, CD Putnam, and JA Tainer. 2001. DNA damage recognition and repair pathway coordination revealed by the structural biochemistry of DNA repair enzymes. Progress in Nucleic Acid Research and Molecular Biology 68: 315-347.

CD Putnam, AS Arvai, Y Bourne, and JA Tainer. 2000. Active and inhibited human catalase structures: ligand and NADPH binding and catalytic mechanism. Journal of Molecular Biology 296: 295-309.

SS Parikh, CD Putnam, and JA Tainer. 2000. Lessons learned from structural results on uracil-DNA glycosylase. Mutation Research 460: 183-199.

CD Putnam and JA Tainer. 2000. The food of sweet and bitter fancy. Nature Structural Biology 7: 17-18.

S Han, JA Craig, CD Putnam, NB Carozzi, and JA Tainer. 1999. Evolution and mechanism from structures of an ADP-ribosylating toxin and NAD complex. Nature Structural Biology 6: 932-936.

CD Putnam, MJN Shroyer, AJ Lundquist, CD Mol, AS Arvai, DW Mosbaugh, and JA Tainer. 1999. Protein mimicry of DNA from crystal structures of the uracil-DNA glycosylase inhibitor protein and its complex with Escherichia coli uracil-DNA glycosylase. Journal of Molecular Biology 287: 331-346.

MJN Shroyer, SE Bennett, CD Putnam, JA Tainer, and DW Mosbaugh. 1999. Mutation of an active site residue in Escherichia coli uracil-DNA glycosylase: Effect on DNA-binding, uracil inhibition and catalysis. Biochemistry 38: 4834-4845.

CD Mol, SS Parikh, CD Putnam, TP Lo, and JA Tainer. 1999. DNA repair mechanisms for the recognition and removal of damaged DNA bases. Annual Reviews of Biophysics and Biomolecular Structure 28: 101-128.

SK Wilcox, CD Putnam, M Sastry, J Blankenship, WJ Chazin, and DB Goodin. 1998. Rational design of a functional metalloenzyme: introduction of a site for manganese binding and oxidation into a heme peroxidase. Biochemisty 37: 16853-62.

MJ Donlin, RF Frey, CD Putnam, J Proctor, and JK Bashkin. 1998. Analysis of iron in ferritin, the iron-storage protein: A general chemistry experiment. Journal of Chemical Education 75: 437-41.

CS Pikaard, GP Copenhaver, CD Putnam, ML Denton. 1994. UBF-nucleic acid interactions and the molecular evolution of ribosomal gene enhancers. Journal of Cellular Biochemistry Suppl. 18C: 69.

CD Putnam, GP Copenhaver, ML Denton, and CS Pikaard. 1994. The RNA polymerase I transactivator upstream binding factor requires its dimerization domain and high-mobility-group (HMG) box 1 to bend, wrap, and positively supercoil enhancer DNA. Molecular and Cellular Biology 14: 6476-88.

GP Copenhaver, CD Putnam, ML Denton, and CS Pikaard. 1994. The RNA polymerase I transcription factor UBF is a sequence-tolerant HMG-box protein that can recognize structured nucleic acids. Nucleic Acids Research 22: 2651-7.

CD Putnam and CS Pikaard. 1992. Cooperative binding of the Xenopus RNA polymerase I transcription factor xUBF to repetitive ribosomal gene enhancers. Molecular and Cellular Biology 12: 4970-80.

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conferences
 

CD Putnam, V Pennaneach, and RD Kolodner. June, 2005. Genetic origins of chromosomal instability in Saccharomyces cerevisiae. Talk at the 4th Salk Cell Cycle Meeting. La Jolla, California.

CD Putnam and RD Kolodner. January, 2005. The spectrum of chromosomal instability in Saccharomyces cerevisiae is dictated by genetic background. Talk at the Gordon Research Conference on Mammalian DNA Repair. Ventura, California.

CD Putnam and RD Kolodner. January, 2005. The spectrum of chromosomal instability in Saccharomyces cerevisiae is dictated by genetic background. Poster at the Gordon Research Conference on Mammalian DNA Repair. Ventura, California.

CD Putnam, V Pennaneach, and RD Kolodner. October, 2004. "Saccharomyces cerevisiae as a model system to define the chromosomal instability phenotype." 2004 Damony Runyon Retreat. Asilomar, California.

CD Putnam. May, 2004. "Answering Questions with Small Angle X-ray Scattering in Solution." Invited talk at the SBDR 3rd annual meeting, Berkeley, California.

CD Putnam, V Pennaneach, and RD Kolodner. May, 2004. "Analysis of Gross Chromosomal Rearrangements in Yeast: Chromosomal Healing and Traslocations." Poster at the SBDR 3rd annual meeting, Berkeley, California.

CD Putnam and JA Tainer. 2001. "Structure and Mechanism of the DNA Repair Helicase RuvB." Invited talk at the ASM 101st General Meeting, Orlando, Florida.

CD Putnam, SB Clancy, JG Wetmur, and JA Tainer. June, 2000. "Structure and Mechanism of the DNA Repair Helicase RuvB." Poster at the FASEB Summer Research Conference on Nucleic Acid Enzymes: Structures, Mechanisms, and Novel Applications. Saxtons River, Vermont.

CD Putnam, CD Mol, AS Arvai, MJN Shroyer, AJ Lundquist, DW Mosbaugh, and JA Tainer. March, 2000. "The Protein Inhibitor of UDG, Ugi, is a Protein Mimic of DNA." Poster at the Base-Excision Repair 2000 Workshop. Galveston, Texas.

CD Putnam and JA Tainer. November, 1999. "Deciphering the Role of NADPH in the Human Catalase Reaction Mechanism with High Resolution Structural Data." Invited speaker at the 2nd Metalloprotein Group Retreat for the Scripps Research Institute in San Diego, California.

CD Putnam and JA Tainer. September, 1999. "A Molecular Ruler in Hydrogen Peroxide Selection by Human Catalase." Talk at the Scripps Research Institute Graduate Student Retreat in San Diego, California.

CD Putnam, MJN Shroyer, AJ Lundquist, CD Mol, AS Arvai, DW Mosbaugh, and JA Tainer. March, 1999. "The Mechanism-Based Inhibitor Protein of Uracil-DNA Glycosylase, Ugi, is a Protein Mimic of DNA." Poster presented at the 14th West Coast Crystallography Workshop at Asilomar Conference Center, Pacific Grove, California.

CD Putnam and JA Tainer. October, 1998. "Particle Positioning and Phase Extension using Low-Resolution Diffraction Data Collection in Crystallographic Studies on a DNA Helicase." Invited speaker at the Workshop on Small-Angle X-ray Scattering and Diffraction in Biology at the Stanford Synchrotron Radiation Laboratory, Stanford Linear Accelerator Center, Stanford University, Palo Alto, California.

CD Putnam, CD Mol, AS Arvai, DW Mosbaugh, and JA Tainer. September, 1998. "The Basis of Protein Mimicy of DNA: Structures of Ugi and the E. coli Uracil-DNA Glycosylase:Ugi Complex." Poster presented at the Scripps Research Institute Graduate Student Retreat in San Diego, California.

CD Putnam and DB Goodin. May, 1995. "Rational Design of Functional Metalloenzymes: Engineering Manganese Peroxidase Activity on the Cytochrome c Peroxidase." Invited speaker at the 1st Metalloprotein Group Retreat for the Scripps Research Institute in Alpine, California.

CS Pikaard, GP Copenhaver, CD Putnam, and ML Denton. February, 1994. "UBF-Nucleic Acid Interactions and the Molecular Evolution of Ribosomal Gene Enhancers." Poster presented at the Keystone Symposium on Molecular and Cellular Biochemistry "Basic Aspects of Transcription" at Keystone, Colorado.

CD Putnam, GP Copenhaver, and CS Pikaard. September, 1991. "Minimum DNA sequence requirements for xUBF binding in vitro." Poster presentation at the Cold Spring Harbor Laboratory meeting on the Synthesis of Ribosomes.


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scholarships
 

2005-2002 Robert Black Charitable Foundation Fellow of the Damon Runyon Cancer Research Foundation

1999-1994 The Howard Hughes Institute's Predoctoral Fellowship in Biological Sciences

1997-1994 The National Science Foundation's Graduate Research Fellowship (Declined)

1994-1990 Washington University College Half-Tuition Scholarship

1994-1992 Awarded Barry M. Goldwater Scholarship for Science and Mathematics.

Summer 1993 Howard Hughes fellowship for summer research

Summer 1992 Washington University in St. Louis Developmental Biology summer research program

Summer 1991 National Science Foundation Research Undergraduate Research Fellowship

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teaching
 

Summer 1999-Present. Participant in the Howard Hughes Medical Institute Ask a Scientist program at http://www.hhmi.org/askascientist

Summer 1997. Course organizer and lecturer. C Programming Course at TSRI

Summer 1996. Course organizer and lecturer. C Programming Course at TSRI

Aug 1992-Dec 1992 Teaching assistant for Biology 437, Laboratory on DNA Manipulations, under the direction  of Dr. Kathe Andrews-Cramer at Washington University in St. Louis.

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honors - awards - committees
 

1994 Nominated unanimously by the Chemistry Faculty at Washington University in St. Louis to recieve the top chemistry honor: the Sowden Award.

1990-1994 Dean's List at Washington University at St. Louis

1994 Elected to the Sigma Xi Scientific Research Society as an Associate Member

1992-1993 American Chemical Society Outstanding Junior Chemistry Student Award.

1993 Honorary member of ACS Analytic Chemistry Divison

1990 Honors rating on the American Chemical Society National Exam.

1989 National Merit Finalist

1989 National Honor Society

1989 Mu Alpha Theta (National Math Honor Society)

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Christopher Putnam, Ph.D., The Scripps Research Institute
http://www.scripps.edu/~cdputnam/cv.html


Last Updated: March 3, 2004