Professor WONG Kam Bo

Address

(Office): Rm 289, Science Centre South Block
(Lab): Rm 294, Science Centre South Block

 People WKB r1 

Phone

(Office): (852) 3943 8024
(Lab): (852) 3943 8073
Fax (852) 2603 7246
Email This email address is being protected from spambots. You need JavaScript enabled to view it.
Web http://kbwongcuhk.wordpress.com
 

 

Education

1997 Ph. D. University of Cambridge
1993 M. Phi. The Chinese University of Hong Kong
1990 B. Sc. The Chinese University of Hong Kong


Position 

  • Professor, School of Life Sciences
  • Assembly of Fellow, S.H. Ho College


Research Interests

  • Using structural biology (NMR, X-ray crystallography and cryo-EM) to understand the molecular mechanism of life
  • The maturation pathway of urease
  • Vacuolar sorting in plant cells
  • Protein Engineering, Design, Simulation and Modelling

 
Representative Publications

  • Lei Yang, Ka-Ming Lee, Conny Wing-Heng Yu, Hirotatsu Imai, Andrew Kwok-Ho Choi, David K Banfield, Kosuke Ito, Toshio Uchiumi, Kam-Bo Wong*. (2022) The flexible N-terminal motif of uL11 unique to eukaryotic ribosomes interacts with P-complex and facilitates protein translation. Nucleic Acids Res, May 11, online ahead of prints. DOI:10.1093/nar/gkac292
  • Ka Lung Tsang, Kam-Bo Wong*. (2022) Moving nickel along the hydrogenase–urease maturation pathway. Metallomics, 15(5):mfac003
  • Hsi-En Tsao, Shu Nga Lui,  Anthony Hiu-Fung Lo, Shuai Chen, Hiu Yan Wong, Chi-Kin Wong, Liwen Jiang, and Kam-Bo Wong*. (2022) Structural insights into how vacuolar sorting receptors recognize the sorting determinants of seed storage proteins. Proc Natl Acad Sci USA, 119:e2111281119.
  • Shuangli Sun, Lanlan Feng, Kin Pan Chung, Ka-Ming Lee, Hayley Hei-Yin Cheung, Mengqian Luo, Kaike Ren, Kai Ching Law, Liwen Jiang, Kam-Bo Wong, Xiaohong Zhuang. (2021) Mechanistic insights into an atypical interaction between ATG8 and SH3P2 in Arabidopsis thaliana. Autophagy, Oct 17, online ahead of prints. https://doi.org/10.1080/15548627.2021.1976965
  • Kwok-Ho Andrew Choi, Lei Yang, Ka-Ming Lee, Conny Wing-Heng Yu, David K Banfield, Kosuke Ito, Toshio Uchiumi, Kam-Bo Wong*. (2019) Structural and Mutagenesis Studies Evince the Role of the Extended Protuberant Domain of Ribosomal Protein uL10 in Protein Translation. Biochemistry, 58:3744-3754.
  • Yap Shing Nim, Kam-Bo Wong*. (2019) The Maturation Pathway of Nickel Urease. Inorganics, 7:85
  • Yuen HM, Fong YH, Nim YS, Lau PH, Wong KB*. (2017) Structural insights into how GTP-dependent conformational changes in a metallochaperone UreG facilitate urease maturation. Proc Natl Acad Sci USA, 114:E10890. (Faculty-of-1000 recommended)
  • Cheung MY, Li X, Miao R, Fong YH, Li KP, Yung YL, Yu MH, Wong KB*, Chen Z*, Lam HM*. (2016) ATP binding by the P-loop NTPase OsYchF1 (an unconventional G protein) contributes to biotic but not abiotic stress responses. Proc Natl Acad Sci USA, 113:2648
  • Luo F, Fong YH, Zeng Y, Shen J, Jiang L, Wong KB*. (2014)How vacuolar sorting receptor proteins interact with their cargo proteins, crystal structures of apo and cargo-bound forms of the protease-associated domain from an Arabidopsis vacuolar sorting receptor. Plant Cell, 26:3693-708
  • Fong YH, Wong HC, Yeun MH, Lau PH, Chen YW, Wong KB*. (2013) Structure of UreG/UreF/UreH complex reveals how urease accessory proteins facilitate maturation of Helicobacter pylori urease. PLoS Biol, 11:e1001678. (Faculty-of-1000 recommended)
  • Lee KM, Yusa K, Chu LO, Yu, CWH, Oono M, Miyoshi T, Ito K, Shaw PC, Wong KB*, Uchiumi T*. (2013) Solution structure of human P1-P2 heterodimer provides insights into the role of eukaryotic stalk in recruiting ribosome-inactivating protein trichosanthin to the ribosome. Nucleic Acids Res, 41:8776-8787
  • Chuck CP, Chen C, Ke Z, Wan DC, Chow HF, Wong KB*. (2013) Design, synthesis and crystallographic analysis of nitrile-based broad-spectrum peptidomimetic inhibitors for coronavirus 3C-like proteases. Eur J Med Chem, 59:1-6.
  • Lee, K.M., Yu, W.H., Chiu, Y.H., Sze, K.H., Shaw, P.C., Wong, K.B.* (2012) Solution structure of the dimerization domain of the eukaryotic stalk P1/P2 complex reveals the structural organization of eukaryotic stalk complex, Nucleic Acids Res, 40:3172-82.
  • Fong, Y.H., Wong, H.C., Chuck, C.P., Chen, Y.W., Sun, H., Wong, K.B.* (2011) Assembly of the preactivation complex for urease maturation in Helicobacter pylori: Crystal Structure of the UreF/UreH complex, J. Biol. Chem. 286:43241 (Selected as paper of the week).
  • Lam SY, Yeung RCY, Yu TH, Sze KH, Wong KB*. (2011) A Rigidifying Salt-Bridge Favors the Activity of Thermophilic Enzyme at High Temperatures at the Expense of Low-Temperature Activity. PLoS Biol, 9:e1001027
  • Lee KM, Yu CW, Chan DS, Chiu TY, Zhu G, Sze KH, Shaw PC, Wong KB*. (2010) Solution structure of the dimerization domain of ribosomal protein P2 provides insights for the structural organization of eukaryotic stalk. Nucleic Acids Res, 38:5206-5216.
  • Too PH, Ma MK, Mak AN, Wong YT, Tung CK, Zhu G, Au SW, Wong KB*, Shaw PC*. (2009) The C-terminal fragment of the ribosomal P protein complexed to trichosanthin reveals the interaction between the ribosome-inactivating protein and the ribosome. Nucleic Acids Res, 37:602-610.
  • Chan DS, Chu LO, Lee KM, Too PH, Ma KW, Sze KH, Zhu G, Shaw PC*, Wong KB* (2007) Interaction between trichosanthin, a ribosome-inactivating protein, and the ribosomal stalk protein P2 by chemical shift perturbation and mutagenesis analyses. Nucleic Acids Res, 35:1660-1672.
  • Lee CF, Makhatadze GI*, Wong KB* (2005) Effects of charge-to-alanine substitutions on the stability of ribosomal protein L30e from Thermococcus celer. Biochemistry, 44:16817-16825.
  • Lee CF, Allen MD, Bycroft M, Wong KB* (2005) Electrostatic interactions contribute to reduced heat capacity change of unfolding in a thermophilic ribosomal protein L30e. J Mol Biol, 348:419-431.
  • Cheung YY, Lam SY, Chu WK, Allen MD, Bycroft M, Wong KB* (2005) Crystal structure of a hyperthermophilic archaeal acylphosphatase from Pyrococcus horikoshii--structural insights into enzymatic catalysis, thermostability, and dimerization. Biochemistry, 44:4601-4611.
  • Chen YW, Bycroft M, Wong KB* (2003) Crystal structure of ribosomal protein L30e from the extreme thermophile Thermococcus celer: thermal stability and RNA binding. Biochemistry, 42:2857-2865.


Research Grants

2023-2025, GRF, How the receptor-homology-transmembrane-RING-H2 protein (RMR) recognizes and sorts its specific cargo to the vacuoles?, $1,180,218

2021-2024, GRF, Structural basis of specific interactions among metallochaperones that facilitate the nickel delivery in the urease maturation pathway, $1,175,732

2019-2022, CRF, A state-of-the-art X-ray diffraction facility for structural biology research in Hong Kong, $2,306,960

2018-2020, GRF, How SH3P2 interacts with ATG8 in the autophagosome biogenesis in Arabidopsis, $1,274,389

2017-2019, GRF, How the C-terminal vacuolar sorting detainment (ctVSD) of plant storage proteins is recognised by sorting receptors, $1,124,086

2016-2018, GRF, Structure-function study of eukaryotic proteins eL12 and P0 and their roles in protein translation, $974,892

2015-2017, GRF, Structure-function studies of urease accessory protein UreG - elucidating the conformational changes that couple GTP hydrolysis to urease maturation, $634,168

2014-2016, HMRF, Structure-based discovery of inhibitors of Helicobacter pylori urease maturation, $994,522

2013-2015, GRF, How vacuolar sorting receptor (VSR) proteins recognize their cargo-proteins - structure-function study of the ligand-binding domain of Arabidopsis VSR1 protein, $1,168,250

2012-2014, GRF, Structure-function studies of Helicobacter pylori urease accessory proteins UreF and UreH - protein engineering studies and structure determination of the ternary UreG/UreF/UreH complex, $1,050,000

2010-2012, GRF, Structure-function study of P-complex in eukaryotic ribosomal stalk – structure determination of the dimerization domain of P1/P2 complex by NMR spectroscopy, $1,333,220

2010-2011, RFCID, Profiling of substrate-specificity and rational design of broad-spectrum peptidomimetic inhibitors for main proteases of coronaviruses, $799,092

2008-2011, UGC Special Equipment Grant, Acquiring a high-field NMR spectrometer for chemical and structural biology – from macromolecular structures and dynamics to biomolecular interactions, $10,000,000

2008-2009, RFCID, Substrate specificity and rational design of peptidomimetic inhibitors for SARS coronavirus main protease, $775,008

2008-2010, GRF, Does Charge-charge interaction contribute more to protein stability at high temperatures? $639,261

2007-2009, GRF, Structure-function of hydrogenase maturation factor B (HypB) – structure determination of HypB by X-ray crystallography. $654,500

2006-2009, GRF, Is the reduced catalytic efficiency of a thermophilic acylphophsphatase a necessary consequence of enhanced stability and rigidity? $1,290,183

2003-2006, GRF, Structure-function study of ribosomal protein P2 – structure determination of human P2 by NMR spectroscopy, $1,491,000

2002-2005, GRF, Structural basis of thermostability of proteins – protein engineering of a thermophilic protein from a hyperthermophilic archaea Thermococcus celer, $1,394,000

2000-2003, GRF, Structure-function of a novel RNA binding motif - structure determination of a ribosomal protein L30e from Thermococcus celer by multi-dimensional NMR spectroscopy, $1,015,200


Professional Activities

Editoral Board, The Journal of Microbiology
Editoral Board, Protein Engineering, Design and Selection