Reid C. Johnson

Reid C. Johnson is a Professor in the Department of Biological Chemistry at the David Geffen School of Medicine, UCLA. His research focuses on molecular mechanisms of DNA recombination, protein-DNA interactions, and bacterial chromosome organization. He has made significant contributions to understanding the roles of serine recombinases such as Hin and Gin in site-specific DNA inversion, as well as the functions of nucleoid proteins like Fis and HMGB in chromosomal structure and transcription regulation.

• Primary affiliation: David Geffen School of Medicine at UCLA
• Department: Biological Chemistry

Research Interests

Johnson’s work integrates biochemistry, molecular biology, and biophysics to study:

• Mechanisms of DNA recombination and site-specific inversion
• Role of architectural proteins in DNA dynamics and topology
• Protein-DNA interaction networks and cooperativity
• Functional roles of nucleoid-associated proteins in bacterial physiology

Publications Overview

His recent work explores:

• Dynamic behaviors of architectural DNA-binding proteins (e.g., Nhp6A, HMGB)
• Mechanisms of Hin/Gin-mediated DNA inversion and recombination directionality
• Structural and functional aspects of Fis protein in transcription and chromosome compaction