Chemical proteomic approach to identify new DNA damage sensory and repair proteins

ORGN 646

Ekaterina A Korobkova, ekorobk@uchicago.edu and Chuan He. Department of Chemistry, The University of Chicago, 929 E 57th St, Room E313, Chicago, IL 60637
Cellular DNA can be modified by a variety of chemicals. These modifications can lead to the development of cancer. Almost all organisms have evolved DNA repair mechanisms. We develop reliable methods to trap, identify, and profile DNA damage proteins. We chemically synthesize a wide range of probes that mimic DNA damage and utilize them to trap proteins that recognize the damage. We identify the “fished out” proteins and characterize their function by in vivo and in vitro studies. This function-based proteomic method holds great promise for discovering new proteins that could provide targets for developing new cancer drugs.