Biodefense Proteomics Collaboratory

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DESCRIPTION (provided by applicant): In vitro enzymatic combinatorial selection and split-synthesis chemical combinatorial methods will be used to develop a "ThioAptamer Chip" (TACh) for proteomics - a diagnostic tool to identify and quantify the differential expression of key proteins in response to pathogens of concern for bioterrorism threat (BT). This new proteomics technology will utilize our proprietary thioselection and phosphorothioate-modified oligonucleotide "thioaptamers," combined with the surface enhanced laser desorption/ionization (SELDI) mass spectroscopy technology of our collaborating partner, Ciphergen, to target both rodent and human proteomes. In particular we will study the inflammatory response of cytokines and key transcription factors (e.g., NF-kappaB) challenged with BT agents. The five NF-?B/Rel family proteins can combine to form 15 homo- and heterodimers, each performing a specific signaling function upon translocation across the cell nuclear membrane and binding to a gene's promoter region. In partnership with Ciphergen, we will also develop new, massively parallel, thioaptamer bead-based screening of the proteome with SELDI mass-spectrometric methods to identify uncharacterized proteins involved in the immune response to BT viruses. Our results from the TACh/SELDI approaches will be validated by 2D gel mass spectrometric proteomic methods. We will also apply bioinformatic analyses to correlate changes in protein expression with available genomic data on changes in gene expression as a result of inflammation after viral infection or shock. Elucidating these protein expression changes will allow early diagnosis and enhanced prognosis of viral disease, and subsequent development of effective pharmacological and immunological interventions. Specific initial viral targets include arenaviruses, Pichinde and Lassa (the latter on both the NIH and CDC class A lists).