The Cheminar: Mary Kay H. Pflum, Ph.D.
The Cheminar: Mary Kay H. Pflum, Ph.D.
11:00 a.m. - 12:00 p.m.
Tuesday, Apr. 30 | 11 a.m. - 12 p.m.
Classroom Building 170
Histone Deacetylase Enzymes: Substrate identification to Discover New Biology
Histone deacetylase (HDAC) enzymes are key players in 癌症 progression and have emerged recently as targets for anti-癌症 drugs. In fact, four drugs are currently used clinically to treat leukemia and lymphoma. While HDAC activity has been intensely studied, A significant challenge in the HDAC re搜索 field lies in the fact that HDAC substrate selectivities are poorly understood. HDAC enzymes catalyze the deacetylation of acetyllysine residues on protein substrates. The oldest and most well studied protein substrates are histone proteins. In fact, studies of histone deacetylation by HDAC proteins have been key to development of HDAC inhibitor anti-癌症 drugs. However, recently many, many acetylated proteins have been identified in cells, which strongly suggests that HDAC enzymes deacetylate substrates beyond histones. Unfortunately, few approaches are available to identify the substrates of HDAC proteins. To facilitate identification of HDAC substrates and reveal novel biology associated with HDAC proteins, we have developed “substrate trapping mutants”. Using substrate trapping mutants, we identified several new substrates of HDAC proteins. These new substrates have revealed novels roles of HDAC proteins is cell division and gene regulation, which are unregulated in
癌症. Through inhibitor substrate identification, this substrate identification project in the Pflum lab will deepen our understanding of basic biological mechanisms, as well as 癌症 onset and progression.
About the Speaker
Dr. Pflum received a B.A. degree from Carleton College working with Jerry Mohrig in physical organic chemistry. 在Ph值.D. training at Yale University with Alanna Schepartz, she worked on several bioorganic projects focusing on phosphoproteins and transcription factors. In an NIH post-doctoral position at Harvard University with Stuart Schreiber, she worked on chemical biology and cell biology projects focusing on histone deacetylase proteins. Dr. Pflum joined the faculty at Wayne State University in 2001 with a re搜索 program at the interface of Chemistry and Biology focusing on two 癌症-related proteins – kinase and histone deacetylase enzymes. The multi-disciplinary re搜索 in her laboratory combined the fields of organic synthesis, biochemistry, enzymology, molecular biology, analytical chemistry, and cell biology.
![Mary Kay H. Pflum](/sites/default/files/styles/event_image/public/2024-04/MaryKayPflum.png?itok=4YWg3h6D)