Research Interests

• Structure and Function of RNA-dependent RNA polymerases from positive-stranded RNA viruses: X-ray crystallographic, enzymological and drug design studies aimed at understanding the structural basis for the function of the key enzyme responsible for replication in a wide range of medically and economically important viruses.
• Carbohydrate-binding proteins and carbohydrate-processing enzymes: X-ray crystallographic studies in collaboration with other members of the Alberta Ingenuity Centre for Glycosciences

 

Courses Taught

Graduate Students

Awards

2007 - Alberta Heritage Foundation for medical Research Senior Scholar
2007 - Canadian Institutes of Health Research New Investigator
2007 - Alberta Heritage Foundation for Medical Research Medical Scholar

Selected publications

• Ng, K.K.S., N. Pendás-Franco, J. Rojo, J.A. Boga, A. Machín, J.M. Martín Alonso and F. Parra (2004) Crystal structure of Norwalk Virus polymerase reveals the carboxy terminus in the active site cleft. J. Biol. Chem. 279:16638-16645.
• Lian, Q., S.J. Szarka, K.K.S. Ng and S.-L. Wong (2003) Engineering of a staphylokinase-based fibrinolytic agent with antithrombotic activity and targeting capability toward thrombin-rich fibrin and plasma clots. J. Biol. Chem. 278:26677-26686.
• Wang, M., K.K.S. Ng, M.M. Cherney, L. Chan, C.G. Yannopoulos, J. Bedard, N. Morin, N. Nguyen-Ba, R.C. Bethell and M.N.G. James (2003) Non-nucleoside analogue inhibitors bind to an allosteric site on HCV NS5B polymerase: Crystal structures and mechanism of inhibition. J. Biol. Chem. 278:9489-9495.
• Toyota, E., K.K.S. Ng, S. Kuninaga, H. Sekizaki, K. Itoh, K. Tanizawa and M.N.G. James (2002) Crystal structure and nucleotide sequence of an anionic trypsin from Chum salmon (Oncorhynchus keta) in comparison with Atlantic salmon (Salmo salar) and bovine trypsin. J. Mol. Biol. 324:391-397.
• Ng, K.K.S., A.R. Kolatkar, S. Park-Snyder, H. Feinberg, D.A. Clark, K. Drickamer, and W.I. Weis (2002) Orientation of bound ligands in Mannose-binding proteins: Implications for multivalent ligand recognition. J. Biol. Chem. 277:16088-16095.
• Ng, K.K.S., M.M. Cherney, A. López Vázquez, Á. Machín, J.M. Martín Alonso, F. Parra, and M.N.G. James (2002) Crystal structures of active and inactive conformations of a Caliciviral RNA-dependent RNA Polymerase. J. Biol. Chem. 277:1381-1387.
• Ghani, U., K.K.S. Ng, Atta-ur-Rahman, M.I. Choudhary and M.N.G. James (2001) Crystal structure of ?-chymotrypsin in complex with 7-hydroxycoumarin. J. Mol. Biol. 314:519-25.
• Toyota, E., K.K.S. Ng, K. Itoh, H. Sekizaki, K. Tanizawa and M.N.G. James (2001) X-ray crystallographic analyses of complexes between bovine beta-trypsin and Schiff base
  copper(II) or iron(III) chelates. J. Mol. Biol. 305:471-479.
• Ng, K.K.S., J.F. Petersen, M.M. Cherney, C. Garen, J.J. Zalatoris, C. Rao-Naik, B.M. Dunn, M.R. Martzen, R.J. Peanasky and M.N.G. James (2000) Structural basis for the inhibition of porcine pepsin by Ascaris pepsin inhibitor-3. Nature Struct. Biol. 7:653-657.
• Ng, K.K.S. and W.I. Weis (1998) Coupling of prolyl peptide bond isomerization and Ca2+ binding in a C-type mannose-binding protein. Biochem. 37:17977-17989.
• Ng, K.K.S., S. Park-Snyder and W.I. Weis (1998) Ca2+-dependent structural changes in C-type mannose-binding proteins. Biochem. 37:17965-17976.
• Ng, K.K.S. and W.I. Weis (1997) Structure of a selectin-like mutant of mannose-binding protein complexed with sialylated and sulfated Lewis(x) oligosaccharides. (Accelerated publication) Biochem. 36:979-988.
• Ng, K.K.S., K. Drickamer and W.I. Weis (1996) Structural analysis of monosaccharide recognition by rat liver mannose-binding protein. J. Biol. Chem. 271:663-674.
• Ng, K., R. Ye, X.-C. Wu and S.-L. Wong (1992) Sorbitol dehydrogenase from Bacillus subtilis: Purification, characterization and gene cloning. J. Biol. Chem. 267:24989-24994.