Dissecting the role of calprotectin (S100 A8/A9) in the role of inflammation

S100A8 and S100A9 (also known as MRP8 and MRP14, respectively) are Ca2+ binding proteins belonging to the S100 family. They often form heterodimers, and are endogenous danger-associated molecular patterns (DAMPs) that bind to innate immune receptors including toll-like receptor 4 (TLR4) and the receptor for advanced glycation endproducts (RAGE). In neutrophils, S100A8 and S100A9 proteins comprise approximately 45% of the total cytoplasmic protein. During inflammation, S100A8/A9 is actively released and modulates the inflammatory response by stimulating leukocyte recruitment and inducing cytokine secretion. S100A8/A9 serves as a candidate biomarker for diagnosis and follow-up as well as a predictive indicator of therapeutic responses to inflammation-associated diseases. This project will look at the various forms of S100A8/A9 and dissect the roles of these in inflammation and disease. Project related methods include: DNA cloning and protein expression, bioinformatics, western blotting, ELISA and immunohistochemistry, fluorescence and confocal microscopy, proteomics (LC-MS/MS),