2005     PhD degree, chemistry, Faculty of Natural Sciences and Mathematics, University of Zagreb, thesis: “Structural characteristics of some lipases from bacteria of genus Streptomyces”, mentors: Dr. Biserka Kojić-Prodić, IRB and Dr. Marija Luić, IRB

2001     MSc degree, chemistry, Faculty of Natural Sciences and Mathematics, University of Zagreb

1997     BSc degree, chemistry, Faculty of Natural Sciences and Mathematics, University of Zagreb

Leader of Austrian-Croatian bilateral project “The application of mass spectrometry-based „omics“ technologies to characterize products relevant for biotechnology and agriculture” 2016/17.

Associate on UKF project Research Cooperativity Program, Crossing Borders Grant "Protein ADP-ribosylation in a model prokaryote Streptomyces coelicolor and human" 2013/2015.

Associate on bilateral project with Germany "Biocatalysis of bacterial hydrolases of the GDSL–superfamily studied by a multidisciplinary approach" 2012/2013.

Associate on bilateral project with Austria "Using mass spectrometry for detailed characterization of proteins, glycoproteins, glycoconjugates and protein associated lipids" 2012/2013.

Leader of Austrian-Croatian bilateral project “Mass spectrometry-based proteomic analysis: characterization of horseradish esterases and snake venom proteins, and mapping of Fusarium parasites” 2010/11.

Leader of Austrian-Croatian bilateral project “Application of MALDI mass spectrometry in protein and intact cell analysis: characterisation of the novel SGNH-hydrolase family from Streptomyces and mapping of Fusarium parasites” 2008/09.

Coworker on Austrian-Croatian bilateral project “Functional organisation of noncovalent complexes of bacterial lipases” 2002/03 and 2004/05.

Coworker on Austrian-Croatian bilateral project “Molecular enzymology and genetic engineering of bacterial hydrolases” 2002/03.

Best poster award at 1st South Eastern European Workshop on Practical Approaches to Computational Biology, Opatija (Croatia), 2005.

University of Zagreb scholarship 1996/97.

2008/9 – assistant – Molecular biophysics (Graduate study of molecular biology, Faculty of Science, University of Zagreb), Prof. Greta Pifat-Mrzljak

2007/8 – assistant – Basis of biochemistry (Undergraduate study of biology, Faculty of Science, University of Zagreb), Prof. Mirna Flögel

2007/8 – assistant – Biochemistry practicum (Graduate study of chemistry, Faculty of Science, University of Zagreb), Prof. Ivana Weygand-Đurašević

Working mentor of diploma work Inhibition of extracellular lipase from bacterium Streptomyces rimosus (Filip Kovačić, 24.03.2005., mentors Dr. sc. Biserka Kojić-Prodić and Prof. dr. sc. Ivana Weygand-Đurašević)

Journal articles

Scientific and review papers

• Jelić Matošević, Z., Radman, K., Loubser, J., Crnolatac, I., Piantanida, I., Cukrowski, I., Ašler, I. & Bertoša, B. (2023) Structural Dynamics of the Bacillus subtilis MntR Transcription Factor Is Locked by Mn2+ Binding. International Journal of Molecular Sciences, 24 (2), 957, 21 doi:10.3390/ijms24020957.

  doidoi.org

• Bubić, A., Narczyk, M., Petek, A., Wojtyś, M., Maksymiuk, W., Wielgus-Kutrowska, B., Winiewska-Szajewska, M., Pavkov-Keller, T., Bertoša, B., Štefanić, Z., Luić, M., Bzowska, A. & Leščić Ašler, I. (2023) The pursuit of new alternative ways to eradicate Helicobacter pylori continues: Detailed characterization of interactions in the adenylosuccinate synthetase active site. International journal of biological macromolecules, 226, 37-50 doi:10.1016/j.ijbiomac.2022.12.001.

  doi

• Narczyk, M., Wojtyś, M., Leščić Ašler, I., Žinić, B., Luić, M., Jagusztyn-Krynicka, E., Štefanić, Z. & Bzowska, A. (2022) Interactions of 2,6-substituted purines with purine nucleoside phosphorylase from Helicobacter pylori in solution and in the crystal, and the effects of these compounds on cell cultures of this bacterium. Journal of enzyme inhibition and medicinal chemistry, 37 (1), 1083-1097 doi:10.1080/14756366.2022.2061965.

  doiwww.tandfonline.comdoi.orgfulir.irb.hr

• Wojtyś, M., Jaźwiec, R., Kazazić, S., Leščić Ašler, I., Knežević, P., Aleksić Sabo, V., Luić, M., Jagusztyn- Krynicka, E. & Bzowska, A. (2021) A comprehensive method for determining cellular uptake of purine nucleoside phosphorylase and adenylosuccinate synthetase inhibitors by H. pylori. Applied microbiology and biotechnology, 105, 7949-7967 doi:10.1007/s00253-021-11510-9.

  doilink.springer.comdoi.orgfulir.irb.hr

• Bubić, A., Mrnjavac, N., Stuparević, I., Łyczek, M., Wielgus-Kutrowska, B., Bzowska, A., Luić, M. & Leščić Ašler, I. (2018) In the quest for new targets for pathogen eradication: the adenylosuccinate synthetase from the bacterium Helicobacter pylori. Journal of Enzyme Inhibition and Medicinal Chemistry, 33 (1), 1405-1414 doi:10.1080/14756366.2018.1506773.

  doiwww.tandfonline.comfulir.irb.hr

• Bošnjaković, M., Leščić Ašler, I. & Štefanić, Z. (2018) The Role of Phosphate Binding in Purine Nucleoside Phosphorylase of Helicobacter pylori. Croatica chemica acta, 91 (2), 171-175 doi:10.5562/cca3335.

  doihrcak.srce.hr

• Narczyk, M., Bertoša, B., Papa, L., Vuković, V., Leščić Ašler, I., Wielgus- Kutrowska, B., Bzowska, A., Luić, M. & Štefanić, Z. (2018) Helicobacter pylori purine nucleoside phosphorylase shows new distribution patterns of open and closed active site conformations and unusual biochemical features. The FEBS journal, 285 (7), 1305-1325 doi:10.1111/febs.14403.

  doi

• Leščić Ašler, I., Štefanić, Z., Maršavelski, A., Vianello, R. & Kojić-Prodić, B. (2017) Catalytic Dyad in the SGNH Hydrolase Superfamily: In-depth Insight into Structural Parameters Tuning the Catalytic Process of Extracellular Lipase from Streptomyces rimosus. Acs chemical biology, 12 (7), 1928-1936 doi:10.1021/acschembio.6b01140.

  doi

• Štefanić, Z., Mikleušević, G., Luić, M., Bzowska, A. & Leščić Ašler, I. (2017) Structural characterization of purine nucleoside phosphorylase from human pathogen Helicobacter pylori. International journal of biological macromolecules, 101, 518-526 doi:10.1016/j.ijbiomac.2017.03.101.

  doi

• Leščić Ašler, I., Peharec Štefanić, P., Balen, B., Allmaier, G., Marchetti- Deschmann, M. & Kojić-Prodić, B. (2017) Horseradish esterases: detection, purification and identification. Plant cell, tissue and organ culture, 130 (1), 13-24 doi:10.1007/s11240-017-1200-0.

  doi

• Bertoša, B., Mikleušević, G., Wielgus-Kutrowska, B., Narczyk, M., Hajnić, M., Leščić Ašler, I., Tomić, S., Luić, M. & Bzowska, A. (2014) Homooligomerization is needed for stability: a molecular modelling and solution study of E. coli purine nucleoside phosphorylase. The FEBS journal, 281 (7), 1860-1871 doi:10.1111/febs.12746.

  doi

• Leščić Ašler, I., Kovačić, F., Marchetti-Deschmann, M., Allmaier, G., Štefanić, Z. & Kojić-Prodić, B. (2013) Inhibition of extracellular lipase from Streptomyces rimosus with 3, 4-dichloroisocoumarin. Journal of enzyme inhibition and medicinal chemistry, 28 (5), 1094-1104 doi:10.3109/14756366.2012.716834.

  doi

• Leščić Ašler, I., Pigac, J., Vujaklija, D., Luić, M. & Štefanić, Z. (2011) Crystallization and preliminary X-ray diffraction studies of a complex of extracellular lipase from Streptomyces rimosus with the inhibitor 3, 4-dichloroisocoumarin. Acta crystallographica. Section F, Structural biology and crystallization communications, 67 (11), 1378-1381 doi:10.1107/S1744309111032222.

  doi

• Leščić Ašler, I., Ivić, N., Kovačić, F., Schell, S., Knorr, J., Krauss, U., Wilhelm, S., Kojić-Prodić, B. & Jaeger, K. (2010) Probing Enzyme Promiscuity of SGNH Hydrolases. ChemBioChem, 11 (15), 2158-2167 doi:10.1002/cbic.201000398.

  doi

• Luić, M., Štefanić, Z., Ceilinger, I., Hodošček, M., Janežić, D., Lenac, T., Leščić Ašler, I., Šepac, D. & Tomić, S. (2008) Combined X-Ray Diffraction and QM/MM Study of the Burkholderia cepacia Lipase-Catalyzed Secondary Alcohol Esterification. The journal of physical chemistry. B, Condensed matter, materials, surfaces, interfaces & biophysical, 112 (16), 4876-4883 doi:10.1021/jp077717u.

  doi

• Leščić Ašler, I., Zehl, M., Kovačić, F., Müller, R., Abramić, M., Allmaier, G. & Kojić-Prodić, B. (2007) Mass spectrometric evidence of covalently-bound tetrahydrolipstatin at the catalytic serine of Streptomyces rimosus lipase. Biochimica et Biophysica Acta (BBA) - General Subjects, 1770 (2), 163-170.

• Zehl, M., Leščić, I., Abramić, M., Rizzi, A., Kojić-Prodić, B. & Allmaier, G. (2004) Characterization of covalently inhibited extracellular lipase from Streptomyces rimosus by matrix-assisted laser desorption/ionization time-of-flight and matrix-assisted laser desorption/ionization quadrupole ion trap reflectron time-of-flight mass spectrometry: localization of the active site serine. Journal of mass spectrometry, 39 (12), 1474-1483 doi:10.1002/jms.750.

  doi

• Leščić, I., Zehl, M., Müller, R., Vukelić, B., Abramić, M., Pigac, J., Allmaier, G. & Kojić-Prodić, B. (2004) Structural characterization of extracellular lipase from Streptomyces rimosus: Assignment of disulfide bridges pattern by mass spectrometry. Biological chemistry, 385 (12), 1147-1156.

• Vujaklija, D., Abramić, M., Leščić, I., Maršić, T. & Pigac, J. (2003) Streptomyces rimosus GDS(L) lipase: production, heterologous overexpression and structure-stability relationship. Food Technology and Biotechnology, 41 (1), 89-94.

• Vujaklija, D., Schroeder, W., Abramić, M., Zou, P., Leščić, I., Franke, P. & Pigac, J. (2002) A novel streptomycete lipase: cloning, sequencing and high-level expression of the Streptomyces rimosus GDS(L)-lipase gene. Archives of Microbiology, 178 (2), 124-130.

• Leščić, I., Vukelić, B., Majerić-Elenkov, M., Saenger, W. & Abramić, M. (2001) Substrate specifity and effects of water-miscible solvents on the activity and stability of extracellular lipase from Streptomyces rimosus. Enzyme and Microbial Technology, 29, 548-553.

• Luić, M., Tomić, S., Leščić, I., Ljubović, E., Šepac, D., Šunjić, V., Vitale, L., Saenger, W. & Kojić-Prodić, B. (2001) Complex of Burkholderia cepacia lipase with transition state analogue of 1-phenoxy-2-acetoxybutane, Biocatalytic, structural and modelling study.. European Journal of Biochemistry, 268 (14), 3964-3973.

• Abramić, M., Leščić, I., Korica, T., Vitale, L., Saenger, W. & Pigac, J. (1999) Purification and properties of extracellular lipase from Streptomyces rimosus. Enzyme and Microbial Technology, 25 (6), 522-529.

Theses

Doctoral dissertation

• Leščić Ašler, I. (2005) 'Structural features of some lipases from bacteria of genus Streptomyces', doktorska disertacija, Prirodoslovno-matematički fakultet, Zagreb.

Master thesis

• Leščić, I. (2001) 'Bacterial lipases: Biochemical and structural characterisation', magistarski rad, Prirodoslovno-matematički fakultet, Zagreb.

member of Croatian Chemical Society

member of Croatian Society of Biochemistry and Molecular Biology

member of Croatian Proteomics Society