Creation of Tools for the Study of Oxidative Damage to Nucleic Acids

通过这一奖项，化学部生命过程化学项目资助托莱多大学的Amanda C.Bryant-Friedrich博士开发化学模型系统，用于研究氧化过程造成的核酸损伤。将利用合成有机化学以及分析和生物物理技术来合成和评估作为通过核酸损伤过程形成的活性中间体的前体的RNA和DNA衍生物。核酸的损伤，特别是如果不容易修复的话，在生物医学科学和化学生物学中具有广泛的意义，是氧化应激/突变的标志。因此，这项工作的目的是开发化学稳定的底物，可以用来确定在生物相关条件下的损伤途径。脱氧核糖核酸(DNA)及其近亲核糖核酸(RNA)是关键的生物底物，对于确定遗传特征和合成进行细胞过程所需的蛋白质至关重要。对这些重要分子的破坏会导致细胞的破坏，并对人类健康造成有害后果。研究破坏DNA和RNA的过程的工具的开发将允许对这些损害过程进行实验研究，着眼于更好地了解氧化应激的后果和疾病的病因。这一追求将使来自广泛背景的本科生、研究生和博士后研究员获得生物化学方面的专门培训。妇女和少数群体将积极参与通过该奖项进行的研究和培训。招募和留住少数族裔科学家一直是并将继续是本实验室的一个重要重点领域。

With this award, the Chemistry of Life Processes Program in the Chemistry Division is funding Dr. Amanda C. Bryant-Friedrich from the University of Toledo to develop chemical models systems for the study of nucleic acid damage resulting from oxidative processes. Synthetic organic chemistry along with analytical and biophysical techniques will be utilized to synthesize and evaluate both RNA and DNA derivatives that serve as precursors of reactive intermediates formed through nucleic acid damage processes. Damage to nucleic acids, particularly if not easily reparable, has broad implications in biomedical science and chemical biology, being a hallmark of oxidative stress/mutagenesis. The aim of this work is therefore to develop chemically stable substrates that can be utilized to determine damage pathways under biologically relevant conditions. Deoxyribonucleic acids (DNA) and their close cousins ribonucleic acids (RNA) are key biological substrates vital for the establishment of genetic characteristics and for the synthesis of proteins needed to carry out cellular processes. Damage to these important molecules leads to the compromise of the cell and has detrimental consequences in human health. The development of tools for the study of processes that damage DNA and RNA will allow for the experimental study of these damage processes with an eye toward better understanding the consequences of oxidative stress and the etiology of disease. This pursuit will allow undergraduates, graduate students and postdoctoral fellows from a broad range of backgrounds to acquire specialized training in biological chemistry. Women and minorities will be active participants in the research and training made possible through this award. The recruitment and retention of minority scientists has been and will continue to be a significant area of focus of this laboratory.