By Amy Johanna Norton
Two BYU professors are among the first to use the recently completed map of the human genome to study cell processes related to cancer, heart disease and addiction.
Professors Barry Willardson and Craig Thulin are using the genome map to identify protein interactions in these processes.
'This paper is the first example from BYU and one of the early examples in the field of how you can approach a problem using proteomics and find a new, unexpected answer,' said Thulin, a professor in the biochemistry department. 'The answer is significant here, and what''s additionally exciting is how successful these techniques can be.'
Thulin said proteins are involved in every physiological process.
'Just about any biological phenomenon you can imagine is mediated by proteins,' Thulin said. 'Proteins are the grunt workers of biology.'
He said a reporter compared cell processes to a party on National Public Radio. The human genome represents the guest list of and proteomics represents the details about the guests.
'Proteomics is like going to a party, finding out who''s actually there, what they''re wearing, what they eat, who they sit with, who they dance with and whether or not they had a good time,' Thulin said. 'So proteomics is a lot more fun and meaningful than the genome, but it could never have been done without the genome.'
Thulin said in the 1970s, people knew proteins worked together in a single cell function but they couldn''t identify the involved proteins. With the human genome, they can identify the proteins associated with a gene.
'Proteomics is understanding what all the proteins in a cell are doing at a given time,' said Willardson, who is also a professor in the biochemistry department.
'We identify which proteins are there, what they''re interacting with, and when they''re active or inactive. Then we can understand exactly how a cell functions,' he said.
Willardson said understanding the protein interaction in cell processes will help pharmaceutical companies to produce drugs that are effective in treating heart disease, cancer and addiction. He said half of all pharmaceuticals are inhibitors and target the receptors to turn a cell process on or off.
'They regulate normal signals that go to the heart, but under inappropriate conditions these same signals can cause heart disease. There are a number of cancers that are due to dysfunction of these pathways,' Willardson said. 'Another interesting area is the brain, where you have neurotransmitters that are signaling through these proteins. Addictive drugs also signal through those pathways; mechanisms of regulating or treating addicts could come from this research.'
Fran Nordmeyer, department chair of chemistry and biochemistry, said the field of study in proteomics is at the forefront of biochemistry.
'This research is assured to turn up information biochemically and medically,' Nordmeyer said.
He said the department is planning on developing the area of proteomics involving undergraduates, graduates and faculty alike.