Dr. Ismael Bustos Jaimes

Full Professor

Former  Alexander von Humboldt Fellow

Phone: +52-55-56232260

E-mail: ismaelb @ unam.mx

Research projects

Supramolecular biochemistry. Biocatalysis. Allostery.

In recent years, we have established a research line in supramolecular biochemistry. In this field, we are studying the mechanisms of association and dissociation of Parvovirus B19 (B19V) capsid proteins, the in vitro assembly of the recombinant Bromus mosaic virus (BMV) protein, and the assembly of the encapsulin nanocompartments of Myxococcus xanthus, Escherichia coli, and Quasibacillus thermotolerans. These studies will enable us to develop nanomaterials for biomedical use by trapping enzymes or peptides of interest inside these protein boxes. In addition, the exterior of these boxes can be modified to alter their tropism or make them responsive to environmental factors, such as pH or temperature.

In the field of biocatalysis, we are using enzymes in unconventional media to produce compounds of biomedical and industrial interest. One of our models is the lipase from Bacillus safensis GMA1.

In terms of allostery, our laboratory has extensive experience with Escherichia coli glucosamine-6-phosphate deaminase as a model system. This enzyme is a homohexamer that is allosterically activated by N-acetylglucosamine-6-phosphate. We have analyzed the quaternary transition of this enzyme kinetically and structurally. The results continue to surprise us despite the extensive knowledge we have of this enzyme.

We are convinced that the best medicine is research.  

Postdoctoral fellows

Dr. Ángel de Jesús Jiménez Chávez

Students

Ph.D. student Carlos Coffeen Cruz

Undergrad. Carolina de Haro Silva

Ph.D. student Willy Angel Delgado Tapia

M.Sci. student Marco Antonio Estrada Tolentino

M.Sci. Aquetzali Estefanía Hernández Gutiérrez

Undergrad. Irma Itzel Loyo Dorantes

M.Sci. student Martín Núñez Milla

Ph.D. student Juan Eduardo Pérez Sánchez

Undergrad. Vanessa Romero Pineda

Ph.D. student Iris Ashanty Soto Valerio

Coworkers

Ph.D. Maribel Cayetano-Cruz

M.D. Josefina Valadez García

Ph.D. Sac Nicté Gómez Barrera

Are you interested? Contact us!

Recent publications

- Santillán-Uribe, H.C., Soto-Valerio, I.A., León-Contreras, J.C., Bustos-Jaimes, I. (2025). Protein nanocages as building blocks for conjugated supramolecular materials displaying multitasking properties. Appl. Biochem. Biotechnol. 197, 6918–6931. DOI: 10.1007/s12010-025-05364-4.

- Cayetano-Cruz M., Rivera-Orduña, F.N., Bustos-Jaimes, I. (2025). Annotated draft genome data of Bacillus safensis GMA1 isolated from hot springs in Mexico reveals its xylanolytic potential. Data Br. 62 (2025) 111963. DOI: 10.1016/j.dib.2025.111963.

- Pérez-Sánchez J.E., Bustos-Jaimes, I.* (2025). Development of a pyridoxine 4-oxidase nanoreactor for oxidative therapy. Int. J. Biol. Macromol. 320, 145776. DOI: 10.1016/j.ijbiomac.2025.145776.  

- Gómez-Barrera, S.N., Delgado-Tapia, W.A., Hernández-Gutiérrez, A.E., Cayetano-Cruz, M., Méndez, C., Bustos-Jaimes, I. (2025). Surface engineering of the encapsulin nanocompartment of Myxococcus xanthus for cell-targeted protein delivery. ACS Omega 10, 7142–7152. DOI: 10.1021/acsomega.4c10285.

- Pérez-Saucedo, D., Castro-Perea, N.V., Ruiz-Cruz, A., Bustos-Jaimes, I., Viveros-Rogel, M., Huerta-Hernández, L., Moreno-Fierros, L. (2025). Design and evaluation of a multi-epitope HIV-1 vaccine based on human parvovirus virus-like particles. Vaccine 45, 126663. DOI: 10.1016/j.vaccine.2024.126663.

- Valadez-García, J., Soto-Valerio, I.A., Cueva-Berea, M., Zavala-Padilla, G.T., Bustos-Jaimes, I. (2025). Membrane damage produced by parvovirus B19 tags erythrocytes as senescent and is an aggravating cause of virus-triggered anemias. Med. Hypotheses 194, 111524. DOI: 10.1016/j.mehy.2024.111524.

- Jiménez-Chávez, A.J., Moreno-Fierros, L., Cayetano-Cruz, M., Romero-Romero, L.P., Bustos-Jaimes, I. (2024). Use of parvovirus B19-like particles in self-illuminated photodynamic therapy for solid tumors. J. Photochem. Photobiol. B 258, 112979. DOI: 10.1016/j.jphotobiol.2024.112979.

- Bustos-Jaimes, I. (2024). The whole genome sequence of Bacillus safensis GMA1, a strain isolated from hot springs in Mexico. Zenodo. DOI: 10.5281/zenodo.11164411.

- Sánchez-Moguel, I., Coffeen, C.F., Bustos-Jaimes, I. (2024). On-column refolding and off-column assembly of parvovirus B19 virus-like particles from bacteria-expressed protein. Appl. Microbiol. Biotechnol. 108, 160 (2024). DOI: 10.1007/s00253-024-13004-w.

- Hernández-Alonso, A., Pérez-García, V., López-Medina, J., Cedeño-Caero, L., Trapala, J., Montiel, C., Bustos-Jaimes, I., Gimeno, M. (2023). Enzymatic synthesis of polypeptides in natural deep eutectic solvents. J. Polym. Res. 30:429. DOI: 10.1007/s10965-023-03808-1.

- Sánchez-Moguel, I., Montiel, C., Bustos-Jaimes, I. (2023). Therapeutic potential of engineered virus-like particles of Parvovirus B19. Pathogens  2023, 12, 1007. DOI: 10.3390/pathogens12081007.

- Marcos-Viquez, J., Rodríguez-Hernández, A., Álvarez-Añorve, L.I., Medina-García, A., Plumbridge, J., Calcagno, M.L., Rodríguez-Romero, A., Bustos-Jaimes, I. (2023). Substrate binding in the allosteric site mimics homotropic cooperativity in the SIS-fold Glucosamine-6-phosphate deaminases. Protein Sci. 32(6), e4651. DOI: 10.1002/pro.4651.

- Trapala, J., González-Andrade, M., Olvera, C., Cayetano-Cruz, M.E., Sanz-Aparicio, J., Jimenez-Ortega, E., Bustos-Jaimes, I., Montiel, C. (2023). Relevance of aromatic and polar amino acids in the specificity of Inulinase ISO3 from Kluyveromyces marxianus: A molecular dynamics approach with an experimental verification. Int. J. Biol. Macromol. 224 (2023), 124734. DOI: 10.1016/j.ijbiomac.2023.124734.

- Gutiérrez-Antón, M., Santiago-Hernández, A., Rodríguez-Mendoza, J., Cano-Ramírez, C., Bustos-Jaimes, I., Aguilar-Osorio, G., Campos, J.E., Hidalgo-Lara, M.E. (2023). Improvement of Laccase production by Thielavia terrestris Co3Bag1. Enhancing the bio-catalytic performance of the native thermophilic TtLacA via immobilization in copper alginate gel beads. J. Fungi, 9(3), 308. DOI: 10.3390/jof9030308.

- López-López, A., Santiago-Hernández, A., Cayetano-Cruz, M.E. Campos, J.E., Bustos-Jaimes, I., Marsch-Moreno, R., Cano-Ramírez, C., Benítez-Cardoza, C.G., Hidalgo-Lara, M.E. (2023). TtCel7A: A native thermophilic bifunctional cellulose/xylanase exogluclanase from the thermophilic biomass-degrading fungus Thielavia terrestris Co3Bag1, and its application in enzymatic hydrolysis of agroindustrial derivatives. J. Fungi, 9(2), 152. DOI: 10.3390/jof9020152.

- Münch-Anguiano, L., Camarena, B., Nieto-Quinto, J., de la Tore, P., Laclette, J.P., Hirata-Hernández, H., Hernández-Muñoz, S., Aguilar-García, A., Becerra-Palars, C., Gutiérrez-Mora, D., Ortega-Ruiz, H., Escamilla-Orozco, R., Saracco-Álvarez R., Bustos-Jaimes, I.  (2022). Genetic analysis of the ZNF804A gene in Mexican patients with schizophrenia, schizoaffective disorder and bipolar disorder. Gene 829, 146508. DOI: 10.1016/j.gene.2022.146508.

- Soto-Valerio, I.A., Cayetano-Cruz, M., Valadez-García, J., Guadarrama, P., Méndez, C., Bustos-Jaimes, I. (2022). In vitro refolding of the structural protein VP1 of parvovirus B19 produces virus-like particles with functional VP1 unique region. Virology 570, 57-66. DOI:10.1016/j.virol.2022.03.009.

- Barreda-Huerta, F., Bustos-Jaimes, I., Mújica-Jiménez, C., Muñoz-Clares, R.A. (2021). Multiple conformations in solution of the maize C4-phosphoenolpyruvate carboxylase isozyme. Heliyon 7, e08464. DOI: 10.1016/j.heliyon.2021.e08464.

- Jiménez-Chávez, A.J., Nava-García, B.K., Bustos-Jaimes, I., Moreno-Fierros, L. (2021). B19-VLPs as an effective delivery system for tumour antigens to induce humoral and cellular immune responses against triple negative breast cancer. Immunol. Lett. 239, 77-87. DOI: 10.1016/j.imlet.2021.09.002.

- Martinez-Gonzalez, A. I., Díaz-Sánchez, Ángel G., de la Rosa, L. A., Bustos-Jaimes, I., Alvarez-Parrilla, E. (2021). A novel approach to trypsin inhibition by flavonoids. J. Food Bioact. 14, 102-113. DOI: 10.31665/JFB.2021.14272.

- Trapala, J., Bustos-Jaimes, I., Manzanares, P., Bárzana, E., Montiel, C. (2020). Purification and characterization of an inulinase produced by a Kluyveromyces marxianus strain isolated from Blue Agave Bagasse. Protein Expr. Purif. 176, 105718. DOI: 10.1016/j.pep.2020.105718.

- Terrazas-López, M., Lobo-Galo, N., Aguirre-Reyes, L.G., Bustos-Jaimes, I., Marcos-Víquez, J.A., González-Segura, L., Díaz-Sánchez, A.G. (2020). Interaction of N-succinyl diaminopimelate desuccinylase with orphenadrine and disulfiram. J. Mol. Struct. 1222, 128928. DOI: 10.1016/j.molstruc.2020.128928.

- Martinez-Gonzalez, A.I., Díaz-Sánchez, A.G., De la Rosa, L.A., Bustos-Jaimes, I., Vazquez-Flores, A.A., Alvarez-Parrilla, E. (2020). Inhibición de lipasa pancreática por flavonoides: importancia del doble enlace C2=C3 y la estructura plana del anillo C. Biotecnia 22 (2), 50-60.  PDF