DEVELOPING PEPTIDE MIMOTOPES OF CARBOHYDRATE ANTIGENS

这个子项目是许多研究子项目中的一个 由NIH/NCRR资助的中心赠款提供的资源。子项目和 研究者（PI）可能从另一个NIH来源获得了主要资金， 因此可以在其他CRISP条目中表示。所列机构为 研究中心，而研究中心不一定是研究者所在的机构。 该提案旨在继续与BRIN暑期教师奖学金（2003年）的支持下发起的合作研究与汤姆Kieber-Emmons博士在UAMS。利用来自Tripos（Sybyl6.9）和Phirrys（InsightII）和Silicon Graphics，Inc. (SGI)和戴尔工作站设在瓦希塔浸会大学和UAMS，凝集素的特异性将进行调查。已知凝集素影响肿瘤细胞存活、与内皮或细胞外基质的粘附以及肿瘤血管形成和对于转移性扩散和生长至关重要的其他过程。通过对与之结合的碳水化合物的构象分析，将对DC-信号（一种与HIV有关的糖结合蛋白）和其他凝集素的识别进行解密。通过建模和噬菌体展示鉴定的碳水化合物的肽模拟物的评价应导致新疫苗的开发。利用UAMS和OBU的现有计算设施，包括OBU工作站和8处理器SGI Origin（bioinformatics.uams.edu）之间的安全外壳网络连接，将利用已知的方法和结构数据库继续进行本研究。在这一领域的未来工作将继续涉及沃希托大学本科生在随后的学年和夏季会议。

This subproject is one of many research subprojects utilizing the resources provided by a Center grant funded by NIH/NCRR. The subproject and investigator (PI) may have received primary funding from another NIH source, and thus could be represented in other CRISP entries. The institution listed is for the Center, which is not necessarily the institution for the investigator. This proposal aims to continue a collaborative study initiated with the support of a BRIN Summer Faculty Fellowship (2003) with Dr. Tom Kieber-Emmons at UAMS. Utilizing molecular modeling software from Tripos (Sybyl6.9) and Accelrys (InsightII) and Silicon Graphics, Inc. (SGI) and Dell workstations housed at Ouachita Baptist University and UAMS, the specifity of lectins will be investigated. It is known that lectins affect tumor cell survival, adhesion to the endothelium or extracellular matrix, as well as tumor vascularization and other processes that are crucial for metastatic spread and growth. Deciphering the recognition of DC-sign (a sugar binding protein implicated with HIV) and other lectins will be conducted by conformational analyses of carbohydrates that bind to them. The evaluation of peptide mimetics of carbohydrates identified via modeling and phage display should lead to the development of new vaccines. With the existing computational facilities at UAMS and OBU, including a secure shell network connection between workstations at OBU and the 8-processor SGI Origin (bioinformatics.uams.edu), known methodologies and structural databases will be utilized to continue this study. Future work in this area will continue to involve Ouachita undergraduates during subsequent academic years and summer sessions.