CHED 853 |
| ADAMs (a disintegrin and metalloprotease) are a novel protein family exhibiting both adhesive and proteolytic properties. Aberrant ADAM function has been implicated in various diseases such as tumor onset/progression, rheumatoid arthritis, and Alzheimer's. This study profiled the expression pattern of human ADAM7, a proteolycally inactive ADAM, in four distinct human blood cell lines. Although human ADAM7 message has been previously localized to the epididymus, we posit that ADAM7 is also expressed by lymphocytes since: 1) ADAM7 exhibits extensive homology with ADAM28, a mature B-cell ADAM, 2) ADAM7 is recognized by lymphocyte receptors, and 3) ADAM7 is found in succession on the same chromosome with two other ADAMs expressed in immune cells. Through reverse transcriptase PCR analysis, our results are the first to demonstrate that ADAM7 mRNA is present within human B-cells providing support for our model that inactive ADAMs serve as competitive regulators of active ADAMs. |
|
Undergraduate Research Poster Session: Biochemistry
2:00 PM-4:00 PM, Monday, April 7, 2008 Morial Convention Center -- Hall A, Poster
Division of Chemical Education |