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APPLICATION OF PROTEOMIC METHODS TO ARSENIC EXPOSURE RESEARCH
Citation:
ORTIZ, P. A. AND W. M. WINNIK. APPLICATION OF PROTEOMIC METHODS TO ARSENIC EXPOSURE RESEARCH. Presented at ORD's Post Doc Face-to-Face Training and Meeting, Washington, DC, DC, May 15, 2006.
Description:
Arsenic, an environmental contaminant, is introduced to drinking water through the leaching of soil and the result of anthropogenic sources such as industrial effluents and combustion of fossil fuels. It also occurs naturally in ground water sources in some geographic areas. Chronic exposure to arsenic has been associated with several human cancers of the skin, lung, kidney, bladder, as well as, neuropathy, and cardiovascular disease. Arsenic is found in the inorgamc forms iAsIII and iAsV , and it is biotransformed in a stepwise manner by chemical reactions that include both reduction and oxidative methylation steps. The carcinogenic mode of action of arsenic is not well understood but its health effects have been linked to production of chromosomal abnormalities, altered growth factors, affects on cell proliferation, altered DNA repair, p53 gene suppression, altered DNA methylation, gene amplification, and oxidative stress. Genomic analysis of mammalian cells treated with arsenic compounds has demonstrated significant changes in gene expression and in many cases has led to important information regarding modes of action. Although genomic data provide valuable insight into key changes in gene expression and potential cellular mechanisms, they do not provide information on protein changes within the target cell. Furthermore, discrepancies between mRNA data and protein amounts are occasionally observed. In this study we use a proteomic approach to investigate the effects of arsenic exposure, complementing previous genomics studies. This approach promises to provide additional information about protein expression, protein location, protein isoforms and posttranslational modifications.