Mu Center for Botanical Interaction Studies

描述（由申请人提供）：植物药能够同时与几种细胞调节途径相互作用。我们中心的目标是探索抗氧化相关途径之间的相互作用。要研究的5个关键途径是（抗）氧化剂（Nrf2/Keap1和NADPH氧化酶）途径及其与NF-kappaB-、雌激素-和刺猬信号通路的相互作用。研究项目1：针对5种信号通路的植物药物预防前列腺癌将测试5种单独的、广泛使用的植物性膳食补充剂通过5种关键信号通路预防前列腺癌的假设。研究项目2：植物酚类物质对氧化/亚硝化信号通路的影响：对脑缺血的影响将验证植物酚类物质通过调节NADPH氧化酶-、Nrf2/Keap1-和/或nf - kappab -信号通路以及s -亚硝基化对蛋白质的修饰来促进大脑健康和预防神经退行性变的假设。研究项目3：抗氧化植物药物和抗微生物防御将测试具有强抗氧化活性的植物化合物调节与抗微生物防御相关的细胞事件的假设。该中心包括五个核心设施。行政核心将监督该中心的研究、培训和试点项目。核心A：植物学/植物基因组学核心将鉴定、培养和记录包括接骨木和大豆新品种在内的原始植物材料。核心B：营养/动物核心将为研究项目提供转基因小鼠和准备饮食。核心C：分析化学核心将为植物化合物及其代谢物的定量分析提供分析支持和质量控制，并验证植物材料。核心D：相互作用核心：巨量测序/蛋白质组学/信息学/亚硝基化)将提供蛋白质组学和亚硝基化分析的新技术，用于mRNA分析的DNA巨量测序，以及通过生物信息学和统计学支持的数据集成。MU高度支持该中心，并提供资金培训和支持4名研究生研究助理。试点项目将有助于为新的植物学资助提供种子资金，并允许新教师和学生的职业发展。我们中心采用生物信息学的方法，利用mRNA和蛋白质分析的最新前沿技术，同时探索5种信号通路，这是非常具有创新性的。这种类型的协同作用，当与中心研究人员的植物学和途径专业知识相结合时，将产生对人类健康重要的新信息。

DESCRIPTION (provided by applicant): Botanicals are capable of interacting with several cell regulating pathways at the same time. Our Center's goal is to explore the crosstalk between antioxidant-related pathways. The 5 key pathways to be examined are the (anti)oxidant (Nrf2/Keap1 and NADPH oxidase) pathways and their interactions with the NF-kappaB-, estrogen-, and hedgehog-signaling pathways. Research Project 1: Botanicals Targeting 5 Signaling Pathways to Prevent Prostate Cancer will test the hypothesis that five individual, widely-used botanical dietary supplements will prevent prostate cancer through the five key signaling pathways. Research Proiect 2: Botanical Phenolics on Oxidative/Nitrosative Signaling Pathways: Implication for Cerebral Ischemia will test the hypothesis that botanicals promote brain health and prevent neurodegeneration through modulating the NADPH oxidase-, Nrf2/Keap1-, and/or NF-kappaB-signaling pathways, and protein modifications by S-nitrosylation. Research Project 3: Antioxidant Botanicals and Antimicrobial Defenses will test the hypothesis that botanical compounds that possess potent antioxidant activity modulate cellular events associated with antimicrobial defense. The Center includes five core facilities. The Administrative Core will oversee the Center's research, training, and pilot programs. Core A: Botanicals/Plant Genomics Core will identify, cultivate, and document raw plant materials including novel cultivars of elderberry and soy. Core B: Nutrition/Animal Core will provide transgenic mice and prepare diets for the research projects. Core C: Analytical Chemistry Core will provide analytical support and quality control for quantifying botanical compounds and their metabolites, and verifying plant material. Core D: Interactions Core: Mega-sequencing/Proteomics/lnformatics/Nitrosylation) will provide novel technology for proteomic and nitrosylation analyses, DNA mega-sequencing for mRNA analysis, and data integration through bioinformatics and statistical support. MU is highly supportive of this Center and is providing funds to train and support four graduate research assistants. Pilot projects will help provide seed money for new botanical grants and allow career development of both new faculty and students. Our Center's approach using bioinformatics to explore 5 signaling pathways concurrently by the latest cutting edge technology in mRNA and protein analysis is highly innovative. This type of synergism, when combined with the botanical and pathway expertise of Center investigators, will generate new information important in human health. PUBLIC HEALTH RELEVANCE: The botanicals we propose to study are already extensively used by the public, and though they have antioxidant properties that may offer cancer, immuno-, and neuroprotective effects, the molecular basis of these effects is largely not understood. Our overall goal is to test and identify botanicals and related molecular mechanisms that can potentially offer beneficial effects to maintain a healthy body and brain by preventing neurodegenerative and infectious diseases, as well as cancer.