91B0FBB4-04A9-D5D7-16F0F3976AA697ED
C9A22247-E776-B892-2D807E7555171534

Associate Professor of Chemsitry Tim Elgren published a paper on "Catecholase Activity Associated with Copper-S100B" in <i>Biochemistry</i>. This is a project funded originally by the Institute of Neurological Disorder and Stroke of the National Institutes of Health, a Cotrell Award from the Research Corporation and the Petroleum Research Fund of the American Chemical Society.  Three undergraduate co-authors contributed to this project with  summer research, senior thesis projects and Kim Kelly '96 completed her Senior Fellowship on this work.

Elgren describes the research: "We have characterized the reactivity of the copper-bound form of S100-B, a ubiquitous protein found in mammalian brain.  We have shown that this form of the protein is capable of catalyzing the oxidation of catecholamines,
such as adrenaline and noradrenaline, to form insoluble dopaminergic melanins.  This particular reactivity may have implications in the oxidative damage associated with Parkinson's disease in which high levels of copper and the presence of insoluble dopaminergic melanins have been tied to progression of the disease."

Help us provide an accessible education, offer innovative resources and programs, and foster intellectual exploration.

Site Search