X-ray Protein Crystallography and Kinetic Analysis of Salmonella Fumarase C

Overview

University of Wisconsin-La Crosse During the tricarboxylic acid (TCA) cycle of cell metabolism, the enzyme fumarase catalyzes the reversible hydration of fumarate to S-malate. Fumarase has also emerged as a key factor in DNA damage response and tumor suppression. Although the biochemical properties of class II E. coli fumarase has been studied extensively, no investigations on class II Salmonella enterica Fumarase C (Se FumC) have been conducted. In this study, the gene for Se FumC was cloned into a protein expression plasmid, expressed, purified, and characterized using biochemical techniques. Protein crystals were obtained to determine the three-dimensional structure of Se FumC, and initial X-ray diffraction data was collected. Biophysical and kinetic analyses were also done, thus providing a more comprehensive understanding of the role of Fumarase Cin the essential process of life. Evaluating the Effectiveness of a Combination Treatment of Antibodies to Blood Vessel Receptors to Reduce Angiogenesis Around Tumor Cells Keena Yin Great Neck South High School Great Neck, New York Research Mentor: Shun Li Memorial Sloan Kettering Cancer Center As cancer is becoming more widespread, immunology is looked at as safer than chemotherapy, which is harmful to healthy cells, and its goal is to manipulate the human body’s antibodies against dangerous invaders. It is of interest to program antibodies to target the blood vessels that supply nutrients to starve the tumor. An antibody that targets growth receptors in blood vessels surrounding a tumor previously developed by the Li Lab called 4T-Trap thins the volume of blood vessels. In response, Vascular Endothelial Growth Factor (VEGF) is released by the tumor and angiogenesis is even more rapid. An antibody, VEGF-Trap was developed specifically to be used in combination with 4T-Trap. It that blocks the VEGF receptors in the blood vessels to avoid angiogenesis caused by 4T-Trap. This summer, I helped to create and implement VEGF-Trap and 4T-Trap and I took measurements and analyzed the results that the antibodies had on the tumor itself. VEGF-Trap was developed by my mentor through plasmids that contained the VEGF gene. After I conducted protein purification, VEGF-Trap was mixed with 4T-Trap and injected into the mice by my mentor. These Mus Musculus Molossinus mice were treated to develop melamona tumors 20 days prior. Three groups of 30 mice were formed: just 4T-Trap, and both 4T-Trap and VEGF-Trap. Tumor size and cell death were measured within the tumor over a span of two weeks. The tumor size for mice that were treated with both 4T-Trap and VEGF-Trap was 30% less than mice that were only treated with 4T-Trap. Between the 4T­ Trap and control groups,there was no significant difference.The cell death area for the combined group, determined by fluorescence spectroscopy,a machine that evaluates cell death percentages, was larger at 14 days, at 24% more than 4T trap alone.There was a significant difference between the combined group and the two other groups,but no significant difference between control and 4T-Trap.The combination of 4T-Trap and VEGF­ Trap might lead to a promising treatment to reduce the growth and size of cancer tumors. Environmental Science Esha Agarwal (PP) Eric Armstrong Yeji Cho Brittany Del Valle Diya Desai (1) Tori Hemstreet Sourish Jasti Tori Jones Willow Lewis Kayla Livesay Sonja Michaluk (2) Luke Mo Parth Patel Katherine Pommerening (3) Isabel Portner Elena Prichard Cambria Spangler Ella Wang Phoebe Xu Ethan Zhao Biomedical Sciences Perisa Ashar Veronica Brooks Halla Clausi (3) Neil Dogra Brittany Del Valle Gonzalez Ishraq Haque (PP) Alexandra Hoffman Quentin Hughes Arjun Jain Margaret Kennedy (2) Abby Liu Stanley Liu Nikhil Mantena Nathan Mu Dhruv Pai Kannammai Pichappan Ritvik Pulya Shruthi Ravichandran (1) Ericka Van Alstine Kevin Yang Life Science Siona Beaudoin (3) Ava Chae Catherine Chen Emily Davis Jacob Egelberg Emily Goodwin Everlee Harvey Pooja Kasiviswanathan (1; PP) Aravind Krishnan Jake Miller (2) Nikhita Mudium Gianna Nilvo Medicine & Health/Behavioral Sciences Samuel Aberman (1) Ruchi Agashe Haarika Ayyadevara David Ban Harper Chambers Simran Ch ambers Jason Cui Caitlin Cunningham Rachael George Rishab Jain (2) Abihith Kothapalli (3) Ansel LaPier Emily Liu Daphne Liu Zadan Mason Tanya Mehta Taylor Moniz (PP) Anushka Naiknaware Beier Nelson Kenneth Roedl Sid Thakker Engineering & Technology Alexander Bell James Clinton Brendan Crotty (1) Arnav Jain Xingyu Ji Jasmine Li Irelyn Meckley (3) Lauren Morris Nhan Ngo Berkan Ottlik (PP) Crystal Pan Rachel Pizzolato (2) Wolfgang Ploch Michelle Wang Zehao Yang Tom Zhang Mathematics & Computer Science Janelle Bachman Kenneth Choi Milidu Jayaweera Sadhana Lolla (1) Isabel Melendez Isha Narang (2) Rithika Narayan AnaMaria Perez (3) Micah Pietraho Helen Shao Brea Swartwood Sarah Tang Samanthak Thiagarajan Alexander Wan Charlotte White Jonathan Williams Benjamin Yan (PP) Physical Sciences Maya Beleznay Ashley Granquist (1) Harper Learmonth Ethan Mandojana (3) Ashini Modi Zoe Rutkovsky Paxson Swierc (PP) Eric Zhong (2) Chemistry Arsonlove Abney Vikram Ailiani (PP) Weston Henning William Huang Natalie Martin Nadine Meister (3) Kavita Parikh Khushi Pola Emma Price (1)

Competition history

• JSHS 2020 Category not listed

Resources

• National JSHS abstract book ↗

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