Chaperonomics

In collaboration with Prof. Alberto J. L. Macario and Prof. Everly Conway de Macario, University of Maryland. Our Research Groups plan to study human chaperone genes and characterize them in terms of patterns of conservation or differentiation, cellular localization, patterns of expression and their role in human desease (chaperonopathies). We are initiating this classification with the family of hsp70 genes, detecting and analyzing all putative sequences from all available human sequence data. We will seek to classify all genes that we find in the human genome by all available information on cellular localization (cytosol, mitochondrion, ER, and other compartments), patterns of expression and functional differentiation. We are also investigating the presence of genes that might encode proteins closely related to the known hsp70 genes but that have not yet been characterized, by extensive searches of genome sequence databases. Further developments include extensive phylogenetic analyses and comparison of human sequences with other eukaryotic and prokaryotic sequences, and detailed sequence analysis to establish sequence/structure regions of functional conservation and differentiation. This project will have the opportunity to support and be supported by experimental work, and by screening of human samples. Our goal is to gather the best, basic information on human molecular-chaperone genes to build a solid foundation for the study of chaperonopathies (Macario and Conway de Macario 2004, Macario et al 2005).

Publications supported by this project:

• Macario AJL and Conway de Macario E (2004). The pathology of cellular anti-stress mechanisms: a new frontier. Stress 7: 243-249.
• Macario AJL, Grippo TM, and Conway de Macario E (2005). Genetic disorders involving molecular-chaperone genes: a perspective. Genetics in medicine 7: 3-12.