Biochemistry, Biophysics, and Structural Biology Commons^™

Synthesis Of A Ggtase Substrate For Possible Oncogenesis Identification And Inhibition, Haley Dammar

Antonian Scholars Honors Program

Geranylgeranyl transferase (GGTase) is an enzyme involved in the prenylation of many proteins, including Ras proteins. Prenylation is the addition of a hydrophobic hydrocarbon chain to a molecule. This addition is responsible for the activation of signaling pathways connected to cell growth and development. A malfunction of prenylated Ras proteins can lead to uncontrollable cell growth and proliferation which can lead to many types of diseases, including cancer. This study focuses on the synthesis of a probe that is identical to the GGTase natural substrate, geranylgeranyldiphosphate (GGPP), with the only difference being the addition of a norbornene motif. This non-natural …