Validating a method to study the autophagy proteome

• Grant number: 23/00841-7
• Support Opportunities: Scholarships in Brazil - Scientific Initiation
• Start date: March 01, 2023
• End date: February 29, 2024
• Field of knowledge: Biological Sciences - Biochemistry - Chemistry of Macromolecules
• Principal Investigator: Daniel Martins-de-Souza
• Grantee: Vitor Ikeda Ito Silva
• Host Institution: Instituto de Biologia (IB). Universidade Estadual de Campinas (UNICAMP). Campinas , SP, Brazil
• Associated research grant: 17/25588-1 - From the basic understanding to clinical biomarkers to schizophrenia: a neuroproteomics-centered multidisciplinary study, AP.TEM

Abstract

Autophagy is the biological process responsible for degrading intracellular components through lysosomes. Recent studies have shown that dysregulations in this catabolic mechanism are related to several neuropathologies, notably schizophrenia. This condition is incurable and is one of the leading causes of debilitation worldwide. In addition, symptoms are often not properly treated. This is due to the lack of knowledge about the molecular mechanisms of the disorder and results in potentially long periods of treatment to determine which medication will be most effective for a patient, who often also has poor compliance due to side effects and other factors. The objective of this project is to establish and validate an enrichment protocol for autophagosomes, autolysosomes, and lysosomes to study these subproteomes in pre-clinical models. This will enable the study of these structures in biological samples from patients diagnosed with schizophrenia and controls. Through proteomic analyses of these isolated structures, it is expected that it will be possible to contribute to new perspectives on the pathology of schizophrenia and a better understanding of the biological mechanisms and the causes/effects of this disorder and its symptoms, as well as revealing new therapeutic targets.