The availability of a Beckman System 990 peptide synthesizer will make possible the detailed chemical study of a number of proteins related to cancer biology by several investigators. The cell attachment site of fibronectin has been identified, and the effects of various modifications of that site using synthetic peptides will clarify the mechanism by which cells attach to that molecule. The cell attachment site in vitronectin will be identified, and the mechanisms used by cells to attach to these two proteins, as well as to a number of other proteins including collagens, will be investigated. The site in collagen which interacts with fibronectin will be reconstructed using synthetic peptides. Antibodies to synthetic peptides modeled after proteoglycans will be used to study the distribution of these extracellular matrix molecules in normal and malignant tissues and to study the interaction of these molecules with collagen, fibronectin, and vitronectin. Also, predictable strong immunogenic sites in the c-fos protein will be synthesized and used to raise antibodies to study the nature and role of this protein in embryonal development. Finally, synthetic peptides will be used to study the mechanisms of protein glycosylation in different stages of development. Future projects include the use of synthetic peptides to study the effects of epidermal growth factor and transforming growth factors.
