A. Latif Kazim, Ph.D. Facility Director Research Personnel: Ping Wang, Ph.D. (Research Associate), Mass Spectrometry Thomas V. Isac, M.S. (Research Associate) Resources Operators: Michelle Detwiler, M.S. DNA Sequencing Ya Chen, M.S. Peptide Synthesis

The RPCI Biopolymer Facility is a biomolecular "core" facility that provides advice, training and technical services to RPCI staff in the purification and characterization of proteins and nucleic acids, and the preparation and use of synthetic peptides and oligonucleotides. Specific technical services available in the Facility include the synthesis, purification and characterization of oligonucleotides and peptides, DNA and protein sequencing, and the isolation and purification of proteins by various chromatographic techniques. The major equipment in the Facility include the following instruments:

• DNA synthesizer (PE-ABI, model 394-08)
• DNA sequencer (PE-ABI, model 373A-Stretch)
• Real-time, quantitative PCR instrument (Sequence Detection System PE-ABI, model 7700)
• Protein sequencer (PE-ABI, model 470A, with model 120A on-line PTH amino acid analyzer)
• Solid phase peptide synthesizer (PE-ABI, model 431A)
• Amino acid analyzer (Pico Tag system, Waters Instruments)
• Analytical and preparative chromatography systems (Hewlett Packard, Waters Instruments, and Pharmacia)
• Micro-chromatography system (SMART system, Pharmacia)
• Capillary electrophoresis system (PE-ABI, model 270A-HT)

In addition to a Facility Director, there are two highly trained technicians, Michelle Detwiler and Thomas Isac, who operate and maintain these instruments. Annually, the Facility provides services to over 60 RPCI laboratories. The Mass Spectrometry Laboratory, headed by Dr. Dutta was recently incorporated into the Biopolymer Facility. The mass spectrometer, a Finnigan-MAT 90 magnetic sector GC-MS, is operated by Dr. Dutta, and in 1998 over 500 samples were submitted for analysis. The types of samples analyzed include small organic compounds such as synthetic prophyrins and carbohydrates, synthetic nucleosides, oligonucleotides and peptides. The Biopolymer Facility is supported by funds from the Institute’s NCI Cancer Center Support Grant, the Administration and from fees charged for the various technical services provided to the users of the Facility.

Click here for the services provided by CCSG Biopolymer Resource.

Selected Publications:

Ojha, RP, Dhingra, MM, Sarma, MH, Myer, YP, Setlik, RF, Shibata, M, Kazim, AL, Ornstein, RL, Rein, R, Turner, CJ and Sarma, RH. Structure of an Anti-HIV Hammerhead Ribozyme Complex with a 17-mer DNA Substrate Analog of HIV-1 gag RNA and a Mechanism for the Cleavage Reaction: 750 MHz NMR and Computer Experiments. J. of Biomolecular Structure & Dynamics. 15:185-215, 1997.

Wang, X-Y, Chen, X, Oh, HJ, Repasky, E, Kazim, AL and Subjeck, J. Characterization of Native Interaction of Hsp110 with Hsp70 and Hsp25. F.E.B.S. Letters 465:98-102, 2000.

Magner WJ, Kazim AL, Stewart C, Romano MA, Catalano G, Grande C, Keiser N, Santaniello F, Tomasi TB. Avtivation of MHC class I, II and CD40 gene expression by histone deacetylase inhibitors. J. Immunology, 165:7017-7024, 2000.

Wang X, Kazim L, Kaneko Y, Repasky E, Subjeck J. Antitumor immunity elicited by two high-molecular weight heat shock proteins. J. Immunology, in press.

Zheng, X, Salzler, RR, Kunz, DP, Baer, MR, Kazim, AL, Baumann, H and Wetzler, M A Novel Serine-Dependent Proteolytic Activity is Responsible for Truncated Signal Transducer and Activator of Transcription Proteins in Acute Myeloid Leukemia Blasts. Cancer Research, in press.