Anna Varizhuk

The main objects of study are the nonclassical structures of nucleic acids and their complexes with proteins/low molecular weight ligands. Objectives - to establish the role of non-classical DNA/RNA structures in the development of pathologies (oncological and neurodegenerative diseases) and to develop new approaches to therapy by targeting these structures.
Also, the laboratory is actively developing new scientific areas related to the diagnosis of viral diseases, the rational design of antiviral agents and the development of molecular tools for bioimaging.
Current projects: 1) clarification of the contribution of genomic G-quadruplexes to the 3D structure of chromatin; 2) design of ratiometric sensors for intracellular pH imaging; 3) development of microarrays with immobilized viral antigens for express profiling of antibodies to SARS-CoV-2; 4) design of low molecular weight antitumor compounds - ligands for non-classical DNA structures; 5) study of intracellular non-membrane organelles.

1.Tikhonova P, Pavlova I, Isaakova E, Tsvetkov V, Bogomazova A, Vedekhina T, Luzhin AV, Sultanov R, Severov V, Klimina K, Kantidze OL, Pozmogova G, Lagarkova M, Varizhuk A. DNA G-Quadruplexes Contribute to CTCF Recruitment. Int J Mol Sci. 2021 Jun 30;22(13):7090. doi: 10.3390/ijms22137090. PMID: 34209337; PMCID: PMC8269367.

2.Tsvetkov V, Varizhuk A, Kozlovskaya L, Shtro A, Lebedeva O, Komissarov A, Vedekhina T, Manuvera V, Zubkova O, Eremeev A, Shustova E, Pozmogova G, Lioznov D, Ismukhametov A, Lazarev V, Lagarkova M. EGCG as an anti-SARS-CoV-2 agent: Preventive versus therapeutic potential against original and mutant virus. Biochimie. 2021 Aug 10;191:27-32. doi: 10.1016/j.biochi.2021.08.003. Epub ahead of print. PMID: 34389380; PMCID: PMC8353982.

3.Turaev AV, Isaakova EA, Severov VV, Bogomazova AN, Zatsepin TS, Sardushkin MV, Aralov AV, Lagarkova MA, Pozmogova GE, Varizhuk AM. Genomic DNA i-motifs as fast sensors responsive to near-physiological pH microchanges. Biosens Bioelectron. 2021 Mar 1;175:112864. doi: 10.1016/j.bios.2020.112864. Epub 2020 Dec 2. PMID: 33309217.

4.Varizhuk A, Isaakova E, Pozmogova G. DNA G-Quadruplexes (G4s) Modulate Epigenetic (Re)Programming and Chromatin Remodeling: Transient Genomic G4s Assist in the Establishment and Maintenance of Epigenetic Marks, While Persistent G4s May Erase Epigenetic Marks. Bioessays. 2019 Sep;41(9):e1900091. doi: 10.1002/bies.201900091. Epub 2019 Aug 5. PMID: 31379012.

5.Tsvetkov VB, Zatsepin TS, Turaev AV, Farzan VM, Pozmogova GE, Aralov AV, Varizhuk AM. DNA i-Motifs With Guanidino-i-Clamp Residues: The Counterplay Between Kinetics and Thermodynamics and Implications for the Design of pH Sensors. Comput Struct Biotechnol J. 2019 Apr 13;17:527-536. doi: 10.1016/j.csbj.2019.04.006. PMID: 31049164; PMCID: PMC6479070.

6.Varizhuk AM, Protopopova AD, Tsvetkov VB, Barinov NA, Podgorsky VV, Tankevich MV, Vlasenok MA, Severov VV, Smirnov IP, Dubrovin EV, Klinov DV, Pozmogova GE. Polymorphism of G4 associates: from stacks to wires via interlocks. Nucleic Acids Res. 2018 Sep 28;46(17):8978-8992. doi: 10.1093/nar/gky729. PMID: 30107602; PMCID: PMC6158749.

7.Tsvetkov VB, Zatsepin TS, Belyaev ES, Kostyukevich YI, Shpakovski GV, Podgorsky VV, Pozmogova GE, Varizhuk AM, Aralov AV. i-Clamp phenoxazine for the fine tuning of DNA i-motif stability. Nucleic Acids Res. 2018 Apr 6;46(6):2751-2764. doi: 10.1093/nar/gky121. PMID: 29474573; PMCID: PMC5888743.