Installation of a Surface Plasmon Resonance System at the Federal University of São Paulo

• Grant number: 09/53844-6
• Support Opportunities: Multi-user Equipment Program
• Start date: September 01, 2010
• End date: July 31, 2013
• Field of knowledge: Biological Sciences - Biochemistry
• Principal Investigator: Aparecida Sadae Tanaka
• Grantee: Aparecida Sadae Tanaka
• Host Institution: Instituto Nacional de Farmacologia (INFAR). Universidade Federal de São Paulo (UNIFESP). Campus São Paulo. São Paulo , SP, Brazil
• EMU web page: Página do Equipamento Multiusuário não informada
• Type of equipment: Tipo de Equipamento Multiusuário não informado
• Manufacturer: Fabricante não informado
• Model: Modelo não informado

Abstract

The diversity of biological activities occurring in hematophagous arthropods, together with the importance of such arthropods as disease vectors, has motivated our group to investigate the presence of new anti-hemostatic molecules and protease inhibitors in three species of arthropods that are major vectors of diseases affecting humans and animals in Brazil: the reduviid bug Triatoma infestans, the cattle tick Rhipicephalus (Boophilus) microplus, and the mosquito Aedes aegypti. Over the last 10 years, our group has described more than ten active proteins present in these vectors, two of which have been patented, and we are currently working on the characterization of at least 15 other proteins. Using the techniques available, we have characterized the biochemical properties of the following: the inhibitors of thrombin and subtilisin A, the Aedes aegypti thrombin inhibitor (AaTI) and infestina 1R, respectively; lipocalins - tilipo33 (T. infestans platelet aggregation inhibitor), as well as tilipo37, tilipo39, and tilipo77 (putative anticoagulant proteins); and the pro-apoptotic protein Boophilus microplus chymotrypsin inhibitor (BmCI). However, we are currently in need of state-of-the-art equipment to perform techniques that allow the interactions between two molecules to be quantified. For example, the use of the surface plasmon resonance (SPR) technique would allow us to determine whether the AaTI inhibitor binds to thrombin, heparin, and fibrinogen. Using the SPR system in the laboratory of Dr. Lauro Kubota, at the State University of Campinas, we recently made two attempts at such determination. However, in order to standardize the experiments, it is necessary to have continuous access to the equipment for a number of weeks. Therefore, we decided to postpone our work. We believe that the acquisition of an SPR system is essential, so that we can address this and other questions, such as which platelet receptors interact with the T. infestans salivary protein tilipo33 and what is the mechanism of action by which BmCI induces apoptosis. This equipment will be the first of its kind at UNIFESP and will undoubtedly also further the investigations of the associated and complementary research groups that support this request. (AU)

Scientific publications

(References retrieved automatically from Web of Science and SciELO through information on FAPESP grants and their corresponding numbers as mentioned in the publications by the authors)

DE MORAIS-ZANI, KAREN; GREGO, KATHLEEN F.; TORQUATO, RICARDO J. S.; SILVA, CAROLINE S.; TANAKA, APARECIDA S.; TANAKA-AZEVEDO, ANITA M.. Cloning, Characterization and Anti-Inflammatory Properties of Bothrops jararaca Snake Antithrombin. PROTEIN AND PEPTIDE LETTERS, v. 22, n. 5, p. 410-418, 2015. (09/53844-6, 11/21558-4, 09/03484-3)