A grant has been awarded to California State University-Los Angeles (Cal State L.A.) under the direction of Dr. Jamil Momand for partial support of a Proteome Analyzer. In recent years it has been established that each human can express 25,000 different proteins from the genome. Using this knowledge, the scientific community has been able to increase its understanding of how the timing and expression levels of these genes affect the behavior of cells yet the exact timing of the expression of genes during development and the response of the genes to environmental toxins is not completely known. To understand these secrets one needs to analyze the proteome-the complete set of proteins expressed in an organism. Isolated proteins will be fragmented and the masses of the fragments will be measured. The precise measurement of the fragment masses is, in fact, a fingerprint of the protein. Public databases accessible through the internet will be used identify the protein based on the fingerprint. The goal of the project is to increase the understanding of how protein expression and modification is altered by environmental pollutants, drugs, natural development, diseases and genetic mutations. The Proteome Analyzer is a powerful tool that can identify each protein and measure subtle changes in each protein's behavior.
The Proteome Analyzer will be used by seven investigators performing research with undergraduates and Masters Degree students at Cal State LA. For example, Dr. Momand's laboratory will identify proteins that increase expression in response to high levels of hydrogen peroxide. Dr. Vellanoweth will identify plant transcription factors that bind to DNA elements and identify proteins associated with the bolting process in flower development. Dr. LaPolt's laboratory will examine differences in patterns of protein expression in the pituitary glands of young cyclic versus middle-aged acyclic persistent-estrous female rats. Dr. Krug's laboratory will compare the proteins expressed during development in the marine mollusc Alderia modesta. The Proteome Analyzer will constitute part of a new laboratory course that will train undergraduates in the use of three pieces of equipment. In this course students will learn how to use the Proteome Analyzer, a new 600 MHz NMR, and a new Electron Spin Resonance machine.
Cal State LA is a Minority-Serving Institution that has made a major impact on the educational and research experiences of minorities. Cal State LA graduates a very large number of students with Hispanic ancestry in the US. It has an excellent reputation in providing bridges to top-rated Ph.D. programs for its undergrad and graduate students. The acquisition of the Proteome Analyzer will give its motivated faculty a research tool to enable them to perform cutting-edge research. Because the Proteome Analyzer will be incorporated into the curriculum of a new laboratory course, it will provide valuable training to all Cal State LA students pursuing molecular life science degrees.
