Gustav Nestor

Presentation
Gustav Nestor's research is focused on NMR method development and NMR studies on carbohydrate-binding proteins and carbohydrate-active enzymes. He defended his PhD thesis ”Carbohydrate and metabonomic studies by NMR spectroscopy” in 2014 at SLU. Then he spent two years in the lab of Prof. Angela M. Gronenborn at the University of Pittsburgh with a scholarship from the Carl Trygger Foundation. Gustav now works as an Associate Senior Lecturer (equivalent to Assistant Professor) at SLU and he is involved in several collaborative projects using NMR spectroscopy on biomolecules. Group members are Piera Wiesinger (PhD student) and Laura Okmane (postdoc).
Teaching
Course responsible for the PhD course "Applied Biomolecular NMR Spectroscopy"
Lecturer in organic environmental chemistry, 2012-2015, 2018-
Teacher at laboratory exercises in first-cycle chemistry courses, 2007-2015, 2018-2019
Research
C-13-Labeled carbohydrates for interactions between carbohydrates and proteins
Carbohydrates are usually not labeled with NMR active isotopes such as C-13 and N-15, in contrast to proteins. In this project, C-13-labeled carbohydrates are studied to gain more information about protein interactions using new NMR methods. The project is funded by a starting grant from the Swedish Research Council (2023-2026).
Lytic polysaccharide monooxygenases (LPMOs)
LPMOs are redox enzymes that are promising candidates for more efficient depolymerization of lignocellulose in order to obtain biofuels and biomaterials from biomass. We are investigating LPMOs and their substrate interactions by NMR spectroscopy to gain insights into their catalytic mechanisms. The project is funded by an early-career grant from Formas (2022-2025).
Hyaluronan
Hyaluronan is a naturally occurring polysaccharide with exceptionally good water-absorbing capacity, producing viscous solutions. NMR spectroscopy is used to investigate hydration and hydrogen bonding within the structure.
Background
Docent (Associate Professor) in biology, specialisation in biotechnology, SLU, 2022
Associate Senior Lecturer (equivalent to Assistant Professor), SLU, 2019-
Postdoctoral associate in structural biology, University of Pittsburgh, 2015-2017 (Supervisor: Prof. Angela M. Gronenborn)
PhD in Chemistry, SLU, 2014 (Supervisor: Prof. Corine Sandström)
MSc in Chemistry, Stockholm University, 2007
Supervision
Main supervisor of PhD students:
Piera Wiesinger (2022-)
Co-supervisor of PhD students:
Naike Schwenner (2022-), main supervisor: Mats Sandgren
Yan Xue (2018-), main supervisor: Corine Sandström
Elin Alexandersson (2018-), main supervisor: Corine Sandström
Laura Okmane (PhD in 2023), main supervisor: Jerry Ståhlberg
Frida Wende (PhD in 2019), main supervisor: Corine Sandström
Supervisor of master's students:
Tuva Vredin (2022-2023)
Selected publications
Xue, Y., Ucieklak, K., Gohil S., Niedziela, T., Nestor, G., and Sandström, C. (2023) Metabolic labeling of hyaluronan: Biosynthesis and quantitative analysis of 13C,15N-enriched hyaluronan by NMR and MS-based methods. Carbohydrate Research, 531, 108888.
Xue, Y. and Nestor, G. (2022) Determination of amide cis/trans isomers in N-acetyl-D-glucosamine: Tailored NMR analysis of the N-acetyl group conformation. ChemBioChem, 23, e202200338.
Greijer, B. H., Nestor, G., Eriksson, J. E., Seisenbaeva, G. A., and Kessler, V. G. (2022) Factors influencing stoichiometry and stability of polyoxometalate - peptide complexes. Dalton Transactions, 51, 9511-9521.
Alexandersson, E. and Nestor, G. (2022) Complete 1H and 13C NMR spectral assignment of D-glucofuranose. Carbohydrate Research, 511, 108477.
Okmane, L., Nestor, G., Jakobsson, E., Xu, B., Igarashi, K., Sandgren, M., Kleywegt, G. J., and Ståhlberg, J. (2022) Glucomannan and beta-glucan degradation by Mytilus edulis Cel45A: Crystal structure and activity comparison with GH45 subfamily A, B and C. Carbohydrate Polymers, 277, 118771.
Kiseleva, A., Nestor, G., Östman, J. R., Kriuchkova, A., Savin, A., Krivoshapkin, P., Krivoshapkina, E., Seisenbaeva, G. A. and Kessler, V. G. (2021) Modulating surface properties of the Linothele fallax spider web by solvent treatment. Biomacromolecules, 22, 4945-4955.
Zhao, X., Jayarathna, S., Turesson, H., Fält, A.-S., Nestor, G., González, M. N., Olsson, N., Beganovic, M., Hofvander, P., Andersson, R., and Andersson, M. (2021) Amylose starch with no detectable branching developed through DNA-free CRISPR-Cas9 mediated mutagenesis of two starch branching enzymes in potato. Scientific Reports, 11, 4311.
Greijer, B., De Donder, T., Nestor, G., Eriksson, J. E., Seisenbaeva, G. A., and Kessler, V. G. (2021) Complexes of Keggin POMs [PM12O40]3‐ (M=Mo, W) with GlyGlyGly and GlyGlyGlyGly oligopeptides. European Journal of Inorganic Chemistry, 54-61
Nestor, G., Ruda, A., Anderson, T., Oscarson, S., Widmalm, G., Gronenborn, A. M. (2021) A detailed picture of a protein-carbohydrate hydrogen-bonding network revealed by NMR and MD simulations. Glycobiology, 31, 508-518.
Alexandersson, E., Sandström, C., Lundqvist, C. E., Nestor, G. (2020) Band-selective NMR experiments for suppression of unwanted signals in complex mixtures. RSC Advances, 10, 32511-32515.
Wende, F. J., Xue, Y., Nestor, G., Öhrlund, Å. and Sandström, C. (2020) Relaxation and diffusion of water protons in BDDE cross-linked hyaluronic acid hydrogels investigated by NMR spectroscopy – Comparison with physicochemical properties. Carbohydrate Polymers, 248, 116768.
Rominger, K. M., Nestor, G., Eriksson, J. E., Seisenbaeva, G. and Kessler V. (2019) Complexes of Keggin POMs [PM12O40]3- (M = Mo, W) with GlyGly peptide and arginine – Crystal structures and solution reactivity. European Journal of Inorganic Chemistry, 4297-4305.
Nestor, G., Anderson, T., Oscarson, S. and Gronenborn, A. M. (2018) Direct observation of carbohydrate hydroxyl protons in hydrogen bonds with a protein. Journal of the American Chemical Society, 140, 339-345.
Nestor, G., Anderson, T., Oscarson, S. and Gronenborn, A. M. (2017) Exploiting uniformly 13C-labeled carbohydrates for probing carbohydrate-protein interactions by NMR spectroscopy. Journal of the American Chemical Society, 139, 6210-6216.
Nestor, G. and Sandström C. (2017) NMR study of hydroxy and amide protons in hyaluronan polymers. Carbohydrate Polymers, 157, 920-928.
Nestor, G., Eriksson, J., Sandström, C., Malmlöf, K. (2015) Nuclear magnetic resonance-based blood metabolic profiles of rats exposed to short-term caloric restriction. Analytical letters, 48, 2613-2625.
Nestor, G., Lukasiewicz, J. and Sandström, C. (2014) Structural analysis of the core oligosaccharide and the O-specific polysaccharide from Plesiomonas shigelloides O33:H3 (strain CNCTC 34/89) lipopolysaccharide. European Journal of Organic Chemistry, 6, 1241-1252.
Rydén, A., Nestor, G., Jakobsson, K. and Marsh G. (2012) Synthesis and tentative identification of novel polybrominated diphenyl ether metabolites in human blood. Chemosphere, 88, 1227-1234.
Nestor, G., Bankefors, J., Schlechtriem, C., Brännäs, E., Pickova, J. and Sandström, C. (2010) High-resolution 1H magic angle spinning NMR spectroscopy of intact arctic char (Salvelinus alpinus) muscle. Quantitative analysis of n-3 fatty acids, EPA and DHA. Journal of Agricultural and Food Chemistry, 58, 10799-10803.
Nestor, G., Kenne, L. and Sandström, C. (2010) Experimental evidence of chemical exchange over the b(1→3) glycosidic linkage and hydrogen bonding involving hydroxy protons in hyaluronan oligosaccharides by NMR spectroscopy. Organic and Biomolecular Chemistry, 8, 2795-2802.