Studies on interactions of essential metal complexes and proteasome

• Grant number: 12/24637-5
• Support Opportunities: Scholarships in Brazil - Scientific Initiation
• Start date: March 01, 2013
• End date: February 28, 2014
• Field of knowledge: Physical Sciences and Mathematics - Chemistry - Inorganic Chemistry
• Principal Investigator: Ana Maria da Costa Ferreira
• Grantee: Gabriela Cristina Stuchi
• Host Institution: Instituto de Química (IQ). Universidade de São Paulo (USP). São Paulo , SP, Brazil
• Associated research grant: 11/50318-1 - Development of compounds with pharmacological or medicinal interest and of systems for their transport, detection and recognition in biological media, AP.TEM

Abstract

In this project, the investigation of different metal complexes (copper and zinc) with diverse imine ligands as probable proteasome inhibitors will be carried out. The proteasome is a proteolytic protein, capable of degrading different cellular proteins. In these studies, EPR and CD spectroscopies will be used to verify possible interactions between some prepared complexes and the proteasome. The inhibitory activity of such complexes will be monitored by usual methods already described in the literature, utilizing specific substrates, depending on the focused activity (chymotrypsin, trypsin, or caspase-like activities). Each one of these activities seems to be associated with different catalytic sites in the protein and will help in the elucidation of the mechanism of action of the studied metal complexes. (AU)