| Abstract |
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Name: Shen Yiru <Email: sci60397@nus.edu.sg>
Target researcher: Dr Chang Chan Fong
<Email: bchccf@nus.edu.sg>
Position: Senior Lecturer
Department: Biochemistry, Faculty of Medicine
Title of Project: Characterization and
Functional studies of CD38-GFP in mammalian cells
CD38 is a type II transmembrane glycoprotein expressed in many cell types. It
is an ectoenzyme with ADP-ribosyl cyclase and cADP-ribose hydrolase activities.
The cyclase activity catalyses the synthesis of cyclic ADP-ribose (cADPR), a
potent second messenger in Ca2+- induced Ca2+ release (CICR)
via ryanodine receptor. cADPR is believed to play a second messenger role in
glucose-induced insulin release in pancreatic islets. CD38, despite being
located at the outer surface of many cells types, its metabolite, cADPR, is able
to act intracellularly, thus increasing attention is paid to such a topological
paradox. The aim of my project is to further study the roles of CD38 with the
use of an intrinsic marker, green fluorescent protein (GFP).
Currently, our laboratory is working on both CD38 and its homologue, BST-1.
BST-1 is a glycosylphosphatidylinositol-anchored ectoenzyme having ADP-ribosyl
cyclase and cyclic ADP-ribose hydrolase activities, which facilitates the growth
of pre-B cells. The deduced amino acid sequences of human and mouse BST-1 show
around 30% homology with those of CD38 and Aplysia ADP ribosyl cyclase.
Therefore, like CD38, BST-1 might possess ADP ribosyl cyclase activity.
My project's main focus is on characterization and expression studies of
GFP-tagged CD38. A web-page will be designed to provide information for those
interested in CD38 research. In addition, a section will be allocated to
describe how bioinformatics has played an important role in my Honour's
Project. I hope to incorporate some links on BST-1 for the benefit of the other researchers in my laboratory.
This website will also contain:
1) The currently available tools to increase the efficiency
of research in our laboratory. This includes the use of DNASTAR to
design primers, perform multiple alignments, align .ABI files into contigs etc.
The use of other programmes which will aid research in molecular work.
2) A one-step link for everyone working on CD38 which will
contain major information on CD38.
3) Hyperlinks to key websites and databases such as the
GenBank, NCBI, SWISSPROT and KEGG.
4) Software package: Some useful
biocomputing software for molecular biology studies.
To aid navigation, I hope to put up a search engine that would be useful for searching
information related to molecular studies.
For
inquires about this site send e-mail to  sci60397@nus.edu.sg
Created on
25/3/00
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