Naoaki Fujii, PhD

Naoaki Fujii, PhD

Assistant Member, St. Jude Faculty
Director, Medicinal Chemistry Core Facility

Departments

Chemical Biology & Therapeutics

Contact Information

Naoaki Fujii, PhD
Chemical Biology & Therapeutics
MS 1000, Room E9052
St. Jude Children's Research Hospital
262 Danny Thomas Place
Memphis, TN 38105-3678
Email: naoaki.fujii@stjude.org
Phone: (901) 595-5854
FAX: (901) 595-5715

Education

BS - Tokai University, Japan (1986)
MS - Tokyo Institute of Technology, Japan (1988)
PhD - Osaka University, Japan (1998)


Research Interests

  • Functional small molecule inhibitor of Dishevelled
  • Small molecule-based chemical biology for disease-related PDZ domains
  • Small molecular therapeutic agents targeting Gli1 transcription

Research lab


Selected Publications

Mahindroo N, Punchihewa C, Fujii N. Hedgehog-Gli signaling pathway inhibitors as anticancer agents. Journal of Medicinal Chemistry 2009 (in press).

Punchihewa C, Ferreira AM, Cassell R, Rodrigues P, Fujii N. Sequence requirement and subtype specificity in the high-affinity interaction between human Frizzled and Dishevelled proteins. Protein Science v. 18, p. 994-1002, 2009.

You L, Xu Z, Punchihewa C, Jablons DM, Fujii N. Evaluation of a chemical library of small-molecule Dishevelled antagonists that suppress tumor growth by down-regulating Tcf-mediated transcription. Molecular Cancer Therapeutics v.7, p. 1633-1638, 2008.

Mahindroo N, Punchihewa C, Bail AM, Fujii N. Indole-2-amide based biochemical antagonist of Dishevelled PDZ domain interaction down-regulates Dishevelled-driven Tcf transcriptional activity. Bioorganic & Medicinal Chemistry Letters 946-9, 2008.

Mayasundari A, Ferreira AM, He L, Mahindroo N, Bashford D, Fujii N. Rational design of the first small-molecule antagonists of NHERF1/EBP50 PDZ domains. Bioorganic & Medicinal Chemistry Letters 942-5, 2008.

Fujii N (corresponding author), You L, Xu Z, Uematsu K, Shan J, He B, Mikami I, Edmondson L, Neale G, Zheng J, Guy RK, Jablons DM. An antagonist of Dishevelled protein-protein interaction suppresses ß-catenin –dependent tumor cell growth. Cancer Research 573-9, 2007.

Guo X, Bandyopadhyay P, Schilling B, Young MM, Fujii N, Aynechi T, Guy RK, Kuntz ID, Gibson BW. Partial acetylation of lysine residues improves intraprotein cross-linking. Anal Chem 951-60, 2008.

Fujii N  (corresponding author), Shelat A, Hall RA, Guy RK. Design of a Selective Chemical Probe for Class I PDZ Domains. Bioorganic & Medicinal Chemistry Letters, 546-8, 2007.

Fujii N, Haresco JJ, Novak KAP, Gage R, Pedemonte N, Stokoe D, Kuntz ID, Guy RK. Rational Design of a Nonpeptide General Chemical Scaffold for Reversible Inhibition of PDZ Domain Interactions. Bioorganic & Medicinal Chemistry Letters 549-52, 2007.

Fujii N, Mallari JP, Hansell EJ, Mackey Z, Doyle P, Zhou YM, Gut J, Rosenthal PJ, McKerrow JH, Guy RK. Discovery of Potent Thiosemicarbazone Inhibitors of Rhodesain and Cruzain. Bioorganic & Medicinal Chemistry Letters 121-3, 2005.

Hattori K, Tanaka A, Fujii N, Takasugi H, Tenda Y, Tomita M, Nakazato S, Nakano K, Kato Y, Kono Y, Murai H, Sakane K. Discovery of Diphenyloxazole and Ornithine Derivatives as Highly Potent and Selective Human Prostaglandin EP4 Receptor Antagonists. Journal of Medicinal Chemistry 3103-3106, 2005.

Fujii N, Mallari JP, Hansell EJ, Mackey Z, Doyle P, Zhou YM, Gut J, Rosenthal PJ, McKerrow JH, Guy RK. Discovery of Potent Thiosemicarbazone Inhibitors of Rhodesain and Cruzain. Bioorganic & Medicinal Chemistry Letters v. 15, p. 121-3, 2005.

You L, He B, Xu Z, Uematsu K, Mazieres J, Fujii N, Mikami I, Reguart N, McIntosh JK, Kashani-Sabet M, McCormick F, Jablons DM. An anti-Wnt-2 Monoclonal Antibody Induces Apoptosis in Malignant Melanoma Cells and Inhibits Tumor Growth. Cancer Res 5385-5389, 2004.

Fujii N, Jacobsen RB, Wood NL, Schoeniger JS, Guy RK. A Novel Protein Crosslinking Reagent for the Determination of Moderate Resolution Protein Structures by Mass Spectrometry (MS3-D). Bioorganic & Medicinal Chemistry Letters 427-429, 2004.

Fujii N, Haresco JJ, Novak KAP, Stokoe D, Kuntz ID, Guy RK. A Selective Irreversible Inhibitor Targeting a PDZ Protein Interaction Domain. Journal of the American Chemical Society 12074-12075, 2003.

Fujii N, Haresco JJ, Novak KAP, Stokoe D, Kuntz ID, Guy RK. A Selective Irreversible Inhibitor Targeting a PDZ Protein Interaction Domain. Journal of the American Chemical Society v. 125, p. 12074-12075, 2003.

Harris BZ, Lau FW, Fujii N, Guy RK, Lim WA. Role of Electrostatic Interactions in PDZ Domain Ligand Recognition. Biochemistry 2797-2805, 2003.

Novak KAP, Fujii N, Guy RK. Investigation of the PDZ domain ligand binding site using chemically modified peptides. Bioorganic & Medicinal Chemistry Letters 2471-2474, 2002.

Fujii N, Kakiuchi F, Yamada A, Chatani N, Murai S. Asymmetric intramolecular C-H/olefin coupling: asymmetric cyclization reactions of 1,5-dienes catalyzed by rhodium complexes. Chemistry Letters 425-426, 1997.

Fujii N, Kakiuchi F, Yamada A, Chatani N, Murai S. Asymmetric intramolecular C-H/olefin coupling: asymmetric cyclization reactions of 1,5-dienes catalyzed by rhodium complexes. Chemistry Letters p. 425-426, 1997.

Fujii N, Kakiuchi F, Chatani N, Murai S. Transition metal-catalyzed intramolecular C-H/olefin coupling. Chemistry Letters p. 939-940, 1996.

Asaoka M, Sonoda S, Fujii N, Takei H. Diastereoselective 1,4-addition of various nucleophiles to 5-trimethylsilyl-2-cyclohexenone: synthesis of (+)-ramulosin. Tetrahedron v. 46, p. 1541-52, 1990.

Asaoka M, Fujii N, Shima K, Takei H. 3-Substituted-g-butyrolactones from 5-trimethylsilyl-2-cyclohexenone. Synthesis of (-)-enterolactone. Chemistry Letters p. 805-8, 1988.

Asaoka M, Fujii N, Takei H. Synthesis of (R)-(-)-O-methyljoubertiamine. Chemistry Letters p. 1655-6, 1988.

Asaoka M, Shima K, Fujii N, Takei H. Synthesis of (+)-a-curcumene, (+)-curcumone, and (-)-methyl citronellate starting from optically pure 5-trimethylsilyl-2-cyclohexenone. Tetrahedron v. 44, p. 4757-66, 1988.

Last update: June 2009

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