Open Access. Powered by Scholars. Published by Universities.®

Dermatology Commons™

Open Access. Powered by Scholars. Published by Universities.®

Articles 1 - 3 of 3

Full-Text Articles in Dermatology

Fluorescent Protein Markers To Tag Collagenous Proteins: The Paradigm Of Procollagen Vii, Hye J. Chung, Andrzej Steplewski, Jouni Uitto, Andrzej Fertala Dec 2009

Fluorescent Protein Markers To Tag Collagenous Proteins: The Paradigm Of Procollagen Vii, Hye J. Chung, Andrzej Steplewski, Jouni Uitto, Andrzej Fertala

Department of Dermatology and Cutaneous Biology Faculty Papers

Fluorescent proteins are powerful markers allowing tracking expression, intracellular localization, and translocation of tagged proteins but their effects on the structure and assembly of complex extracellular matrix proteins has not been investigated. Here, we analyzed the utility of fluorescent proteins as markers for procollagen VII, a triple-helical protein critical for the integrity of dermal-epidermal junction. DNA constructs encoding a red fluorescent protein-tagged wild type mini-procollagen VII α chain and green fluorescent protein-tagged α chains harboring selected mutations were genetically engineered. These DNA constructs were co-expressed in HEK-293 cells and the assembly of heterogeneous triple-helical mini-procollagen VII molecules was analyzed. Immunoprecipitation …


Pdest Fg12-Cmv Dsred Vector, Jarod Wolffis, Sheri L. Holmen Aug 2009

Pdest Fg12-Cmv Dsred Vector, Jarod Wolffis, Sheri L. Holmen

Undergraduate Research Opportunities Program (UROP)

Melanoma is the most rapidly increasing malignancy among young people in the United States. If detected early, the disease is easily treated; however, once the disease has metastasized it is largely refractory to conventional therapies and is associated with a high mortality rate. The development of human cancer from a pre-malignant primary tumor to a metastatic lesion that develops at secondary sites is thought to be a multi-step process, requiring many genetic and epigenetic events that provide a growth advantage to cells. It is still unclear which of the many genetic changes in human cancers are required for metastasis. Therefore, …


R992c (P.R1192c) Substitution In Collagen Ii Alters The Structure Of Mutant Molecules And Induces The Unfolded Protein Response., Hye Jin Chung, Deborah A. Jensen, Katarzyna Gawron, Andrzej Steplewski, Andrzej Fertala Jul 2009

R992c (P.R1192c) Substitution In Collagen Ii Alters The Structure Of Mutant Molecules And Induces The Unfolded Protein Response., Hye Jin Chung, Deborah A. Jensen, Katarzyna Gawron, Andrzej Steplewski, Andrzej Fertala

Department of Dermatology and Cutaneous Biology Faculty Papers

We investigated the molecular bases of spondyloepiphyseal dysplasia (SED) associated with the R992C (p.R1192C) substitution in collagen II. At the protein level, we analyzed the structure and integrity of mutant molecules, and at the cellular level, we specifically studied the effects of the presence of the R992C collagen II on the biological processes taking place in host cells. Our studies demonstrated that mutant collagen II molecules were characterized by altered electrophoretic mobility, relatively low thermostability, the presence of atypical disulfide bonds, and slow rates of secretion into the extracellular space. Analyses of cellular responses to the presence of the mutant …