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

有了这个奖项，化学部门的生命过程化学项目将资助托莱多大学的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。合成有机化学以及分析和生物物理技术将用于合成和评估RNA和DNA衍生物，这些衍生物作为通过核酸损伤过程形成的反应性中间体的前体。核酸损伤，特别是不易修复的损伤，作为氧化应激/诱变的标志，在生物医学科学和化学生物学中具有广泛的意义。因此，这项工作的目的是开发化学稳定的底物，可以用来确定生物学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，对遗传特征的建立和进行细胞过程所需蛋白质的合成至关重要。对这些重要分子的破坏会导致细胞受损，并对人体健康产生有害后果。研究损伤DNA和RNA过程的工具的开发将允许对这些损伤过程进行实验研究，以更好地理解氧化应激的后果和疾病的病因。这种追求将允许来自不同背景的本科生、研究生和博士后获得生物化学方面的专门训练。妇女和少数民族将积极参与通过这一奖项进行的研究和培训。招募和保留少数民族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.