Biochemistry and Molecular Biology

Dr. Kurosky’s laboratory has focused over the years on protein structure, function, and genetics, especially in regard to proteolytic enzymes. More recently the laboratory has transitioned into the discipline of proteomics and is pursuing both proteomics technology development as well as directed proteomics research to investigate total protein expression in order to obtain a more global understanding of biological phenomena. Much of this activity is being conducted within the UTMB National Heart, Lung, and Blood Institute (NHLBI) Proteomics Center (Director, A. Kurosky). The overall theme of the NHLBI Proteomics Center is airway inflammation. Dr. Kurosky is also Director of the UTMB Biomolecular Resource Facility (BRF), a University-wide facility that includes five component cores, largely dedicated to the production and/or analysis of proteins and peptides. These five cores include: 1) Mass Spectrometry; 2) Peptide Synthesis; 3) Protein Chemistry; 4) Protein Synthesis and Biomarkers; and 5) Separation Technologies.

Eosinophils are bone marrow-derived granulocytes that are abundant in inflammatory infiltrates of many pathologic processes, such as allergic diseases, e.g. asthma. Eosinophil maturation from myeloid precursors is promoted by cell signaling events as a consequence of the action of GM-CSF, IL-3, and IL-5. A major ongoing project in Dr. Kurosky’s laboratory relates to a better understanding of the function of eosinophils and their involvement in inflammatory diseases. As a foundation for these studies the laboratory is pursuing defining the total proteome of the human eosinophil and establishing a proteomic two-dimensional map. Furthermore, an important component of this research relates to cell signaling phenomena. Thus, cytokine characterization within a context of phosphoproteomics is an integral part of these eosinophil-related studies. Important also to these studies are the structure and function of protein complexes found in eosinophils and their subsequent alteration in various disease states, including component kinetic flux. Overall these studies employ a variety of protein fractionation and characterization technologies, especially mass spectrometry, and extensively utilize bioinformatics to analyze and interpret the considerable amount of research data generated by proteomics-related studies.