No description available.

Chemical labeling is an important tool for understanding protein structure and function. Biological research often requires the use of molecular labels that are covalently attached to facilitate detection or purification of the labeled protein and its binding partners. Although the number of probes have been developed for labeling of specific residues of proteins is substantial, there is still a need for new reagents with better reactivity, and selectivity. Moreover, these chemical probes should be able to label the protein of interest under mild biologically relevant conditions. Aryl diazonium salts have been utilized for selective modification of tyrosine residues. However, most diazonium compounds need to be generated in situ under strongly acidic conditions due to their instability1. Our group has previously shown that triazabutadienes can be used as precursors that can generate diazonium under mild acidification2 or photo-irradiation3. Current reported systems for bioconjugation of tyrosine require an additional step for fluorescent labeling4. To address this issue and reduce background fluorescence that is associated with fluorescent labeling, coumarin triazabutadiene-based fluorogenic probes were synthesized and tested for tyrosine specific labeling of proteins under mild acidic condition or photo-irradiation. Furthermore, a coumarin triazabutadiene-based cross-linker was synthesized with an azide functionality that can be used to attached the coumarin triazabutadiene warhead onto the surface of a protein. Upon the activation of the triazabutadiene group, by light or lowering the pH, this system can generate a coumarin diazonium salt on the surface of the protein. Such a system can find application in the study of protein-protein interactions and virus-protein interactions. A cyclooctyne triazabutadiene was synthesized to attach a cyclooctyne group on the tyrosine residues of proteins in biologically relevant pH, and 3-azido 7-hydroxy coumarin was made as a fluorogenic partner of the cyclooctyne triazabutadiene. It was demonstrated that this system can label tyrosine residue followed by a copper-free click reaction with the azido coumarin fluorophore. This system has been tested on model proteins and can be consider as one the first fluorogenic triazabutadiene systems that can be utilized for labeling of tyrosine under mild conditions. In conclusion, this dissertation demonstrates progress in developing fluorescent and fluorogenic triazabutadienes systems for labeling of tyrosine residues of proteins as well as fluorophore triazabutadiene cross-linker that can be used for studying protein-protein interaction, and virus-protein interactions. These systems offer a convenient tool to those wishing to study proteins, protein-protein interactions, and virus-protein interactions.

Master of Science in Biomedical Sciences / Department of Clinical Sciences / Mary Lynn Higginbotham / This study evaluated sixteen canine nasal carcinoma and five normal nasal epithelium samples for expression and phosphorylation of known targets of toceranib [vascular endothelial growth factor receptor-2 (VEGR2), platelet derived growth factor alpha (PDGFR-[alpha]), platelet derived growth factor receptor beta (PDGFR-[beta]), and stem cell factor receptor (c-KIT)] and epidermal growth factor receptor 1 (EGFR1) using immunohistochemistry, RT-PCR and a receptor tyrosine kinase (RTK) phosphorylation panel. Protein for VEGFR2 was expressed in neoplastic cells of all carcinomas, PDGFR-[alpha] was noted in 15/16, whereas PDGFR-[beta] was detected in 3/16 samples, but showed primarily stromal staining. Protein expression for c-KIT was present in 4/16 and EGFR1 was noted in 14/16 samples. Normal tissue showed variable protein expression of the RTKs. Messenger RNA for VEGFR2, PDGFR-[beta], and c-KIT were noted in all samples. Messenger RNA for PDGFR-[alpha] and EGFR1 were detected in 15/16 samples. All normal nasal tissue detected messenger RNA for all RTKs of interest. Constitutive phosphorylation of VEGFR2, PDGFR-[alpha], PDGFR-[beta] and c-KIT was not observed in any carcinoma or normal nasal sample, but phosphorylation of EGFR1 was noted in 10/16 carcinoma and 3/5 normal samples. The absence of major phosphorylated RTK targets of toceranib suggests the clinical effect of toceranib may occur through inhibition of alternative and currently unidentified RTK pathways in canine nasal carcinomas. The observed protein and message expression and phosphorylation of EGFR1 in the nasal carcinoma samples merits further inquiry into EGFR1 as a therapeutic target for this cancer.

Abstract Adhesive interactions between cells and extracellular matrix proteins play a vital role in biological processes such as cell proliferation, differentiation and survival. Integrins comprise a major family of cell surface receptors that mediate these interactions. Integrin engagement triggers adhesion-dependent intracellular signalling cascades that include the phosphorylation of tyrosines in intracellular signalling proteins. Integrin-dependent signals act in concert with signals from growth factors and other signalling receptors. The objective of this thesis was to study how cell adhesion and growth factors interact with intracellular components to regulate cell behavior in normal and transformed cells. One of the main proteins phosphorylated following integrin ligation in several different cell types is the docking protein p130Cas (Cas), which is tyrosine phosphorylated after stimulation of cells with low concentrations of epidermal growth factor (EGF). Tyrosine-phosphorylated Cas associates with an adapter protein c-Crk, the main binding protein for Cas, suggesting a novel role for EGF in Cas signalling. The interaction of cells with a variety of agonists such as growth factors and integrin ligation results in stimulation of mitogen-activated protein kinases (MAPKs), which control the expression of genes important for many cell functions. Expression of Cas and Crk induces activation of C-Jun N-terminal kinases (JNKs), which are members of MAPK family. JNK activation induced by integrin ligand binding is blocked by the expression of a dominant-negative mutant of Cas or Crk demonstrating an important role for the Cas-Crk complex in integrin-mediated JNK activation. The proto-oncogene product p120Cbl (Cbl) was identified as the main tyrosine-phosphorylated protein following integrin ligation in hematopoietic cells of myeloid lineage. Tyrosine-phosphorylated Cbl interacts with and activates other signalling proteins, such as Src tyrosine kinase and phosphatidylinositol 3"-kinase (PI 3-kinase), thereby mediating adhesion-dependent signals in hematopoietic cells. Unlike the cellular Cbl, the transforming mutants of Cbl were tyrosine-phosphorylated in an adhesion-independent manner and interacted with and activated signalling molecules both in suspended and in adherent cells. Further, the oncogenic forms of Cbl induced anchorage-independent but serum-dependent proliferation of cells. These results support the view that transformation by Cbl results from constitutive activation of integrin-dependent rather than growth factor-dependent signalling events.

No description available.

No description available.

RASA3 (Ras p21 GTPase Activating Protein 3) is required for D2SR (Dopamine D2 Short Receptor) induced ERK1/2 inhibition in pituitary lactotroph GH4ZR7 cells. We hypothesized that RASA3 may be important for D2SR signaling to inhibit ERK1/2 in dopamine neurons, and thus negatively regulate TH (Tyrosine Hydroxylase) expression and activity. We designed and made shRASA3 lentivirus and showed that it inhibits RASA3 expression. Lentivirus mediated RASA3 knockdown can partially reverse the D2SR mediated ERK1/2 inactivation in GH4ZR7 cells. We then showed that knockdown of RASA3 in dopamine-secreting PC12 cells increased NGF-stimulated ERK1/2 in cells expressing D2SR, but not in cells lacking D2SR, thus implicating RASA3 plays a role in D2SR-mediated inhibition of ERK1/2 signaling. We also found that knockdown of RASA3 increased TH protein levels in cells expressing D2R receptors but not those without D2SR, suggesting that D2SR tonically inhibits the synthesis of TH. We also found preliminary indication that mutant RASA3 mice show increased level of TH in SN compared to WT mice. RASA3 mutant mice showed no striking changes in basal locomotion, anxiety or depression phenotypes, but further studies are needed to specifically address dopamine-driven behaviors. In summary, our data support the role of RASA3 in mediating D2SR-induced inhibition of ERK1/2 in dopamine neurons to negatively regulate TH expression and activity.

No description available.

E-selectin is a transmembrane endothelium adhesion protein involved in rolling, arrest and migration of leukocytes as well as in the metastasis of many cancer types. Previous reports suggested that the interactions between E-selectin and its ligands transduce signals into migrating leukocytes and in E-selectin expressing endothelial cells. This study investigates the signaling pathways involved in E-selectin binding to ligands on leukocytes. Using recombinant soluble E-selectin constructs, we simulated the binding of E-selectin to its ligand(s) to reveal important signaling pathways triggered upon these interactions in acute myeloid leukemia (AML) cells. Since phosphorylation is the major post-translational modification, we examined the changes in the phosphorylation profile in tyrosine residues. We found a time-dependent reduction in the phosphotyrosine levels upon E-selectin binding to the AML cell line, KG-1a. The results of this study revealed two tyrosine phosphatases with altered activity after E-selectin treatment. The first is a cytoplasmic, dual-specific, phosphatase known as PTEN which is involved in controlling cell survival and proliferation. The second is CD45, which is a major component of the leukocytes cell membrane responsible for antigen receptor signaling. A more global phosphoproteomics analysis in AML cells revealed large scale changes in the phosphorylation levels after E-selectin treatment. In particular, 2259 phosphorylated proteins were identified, 530 of which portray significant changes in their phosphorylation status. The majority of those proteins are related to nuclear functions and are involved in pathways crucial for the cell cycle. Knowing that E-selectin binding stimulates chemoresistance in cancer cells, the findings of this project can contribute to the identification of multiple pathways responsible for this phenomenon and help towards the development of drugs that may inhibit such pathways in controlling disease.

No description available.