Proteomic-Based Mechanistic Investigation of Low-Dose Radiation-Induced Cellular Responses/Effects

Xian Chen
Los Alamos National Laboratory

Why this Project?

Protein-protein interactions play important roles in almost all physiological processes in living organisms. However, weak or transient interactions induced by radiation are challenging to detect.

Project Goals

1. To investigate the dynamics of potential radiation-induced complexes associated with a specific histone protein H2AX, a critical factor in the DNA repair pathways in mammalian cells.
2. To explore the roles of Ca 2+ binding and signaling pathways in the repair of irradiated cells.

Experimental Approach

This project employs mass spectrometry, amino acid coded mass tagging, and affinity purification to develop a quantitative "dual-tagging" proteomic procedure for detecting functional protein-protein interaction.

Expected Outcomes

To determine if alterations in Ca 2+ binding/signaling plays a critical role in regulating radiation-induced cell cycle arrest. We will determine if this functional change is due to alterations in chromatin structure.

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