Synthesis and Applications of Fluorescent GPI Conjugates

化学系化学合成计划支持韦恩州立大学郭忠武教授利用对甲氧基苄基进行永久羟基保护的化学合成方法制备小分子染料的GPI结合物，以及通过酶催化连接合成的GPI和蛋白质制备GPI-荧光蛋白结合物。这项工作将提高我们获得复杂而重要的生物分子的技能和工具箱，并促进我们对细胞表面蛋白如何附着到细胞膜的基础知识，这一过程在许多生物和病理过程中发挥着关键作用。这项拟议的工作将对化学和生物科学领域产生重大影响，包括开发针对细胞表面蛋白质的新治疗策略。该项目还帮助培养本科生和研究生，并培训合成、碳水化合物化学和糖生物学领域的高要求专家。

The Chemical Synthesis Program of the Chemistry Division supports Professor Zhongwu Guo of Wayne State University to prepare GPI conjugates of small molecule dyes by chemical synthesis using the para-methoxybenzyl group for permanent hydroxyl protection as well as GPI-fluorescent protein conjugates by enzyme-catalyzed ligation of synthetic GPIs and proteins. The resulting GPI conjugates will be then utilized to study GPI anchorage of proteins to the cell membrane.This work would improve our skills and tool box for obtaining complex and important biomolecules and advance our fundamental knowledge about how cell surface proteins are attached to the cell membrane, a process that plays a pivotal role in many biological and pathological processes. The proposed work will have a significant impact on the fields of chemistry and biological sciences, including the development of new therapeutic strategies targeting at proteins on the cell surface. This project also helps educate undergraduate and graduate students and train highly demanding experts in the fields of synthetic and carbohydrate chemistry and glycobiology.