Heather Desaire
Assistant Professor
Chemistry
The University of Kansas

Structural
Characterization of
Glycoproteins using
Mass Spectrometry

Mentor and
co-investigator:
George Bousfield

The glycoprotein hormones to be studied are used as diagnostic markers, for pregnancy and tumors, and as pharmaceuticals, for the treatment of infertility and thyroid cancer. Thus, a reliable method to characterize these proteins, particularly when they are used for medicinal purposes, is paramount to assure medication is safe and effective. Current techniques used to study these compounds are time-consuming. Furthermore, they often do not provide sufficient information about the point of attachment, of the carbohydrate to the protein, or sufficient information about the heterogeneity of the carbohydrates.

Desaire proposes to overcome these problems by analyzing intact glycopeptides using tandem mass spectrometry. By developing mass spectrometric methods of characterizing the carbohydrates while they remain attached to the protein, the origin of carbohydrate attachment will be unambiguous. Her approach will utilize tools developed for analyzing carbohydrates that are not linked to proteins; however she will tailor these techniques to accommodate the peptide fragments linked to the reducing end of the oligosaccharides. After demonstrating that the technique will be successful on a purified glycopeptide, her research group will develop the appropriate separation strategies required to use the technology in characterizing a glycoprotein that has multiple glycosylation sites.

Dr. Desaire graduated from the COBRE program in 2005 when she was awarded an NIH R-01 grant "Comparative Glycomics of the HIV Protein gp 120." She was granted tenure and promoted to associate professor of chemistry in 2007.

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