CHED 879 |
| Josephine Czechowicz and David G. Alberg. Department of Chemistry, Carleton College, 300 North College Street, Northfield, MN 55057 |
| Unicellular parasites of genera Trypanosoma and Leishmania cause a number of diseases including African sleeping sickness and Chagas. Recent research has identified a metabolic pathway exclusive to these parasites—a promising target for development of new treatments. Central to this pathway is Trypanothione Reductase(TR), an NADPH- dependant flavin-enzyme responsible for the reduction of trypanothione from its disulfide to its dithiol form. These organisms rely heavily upon reduced trypanothione as a protector against deadly oxidative stress. In host organisms, Glutathione Reductase(GR) and glutathione, which the parasites lack, play an analogous role in the maintenance of a redox balance. Though TR and GR share similar functions, both display high specificity for their respective substrates. It is possible to inhibit TR in the parasite, inducing death by oxidative-stress, without also inhibiting GR in the host. Here I present my syntheses of two competitive TR inhibitors and my results from assays of their kinetic parameters. |
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Undergraduate Research Poster Session: Organic Chemistry
2:00 PM-4:00 PM, Monday, March 29, 2004 Anaheim Convention Center -- Hall A, Poster
Division of Chemical Education |