Graduation Year

2009

Document Type

Dissertation

Degree

Ph.D.

Degree Granting Department

Molecular Medicine

Major Professor

William R. Gower, Jr.

Co-Major Professor

Denise R. Cooper

Committee Member

David L. Vesely

Committee Member

Larry P. Solomonson

Keywords

AHNAK1, Arrestins, Calcium, Phospholipase C, Phosphorylation

Abstract

The C type natriuretic peptide receptor (NPRC) also known as NPR3 is a widely expressed single transmembrane-spanning protein. NPRC functions as a homodimer at the cell surface for the metabolic clearance of a broad range of natriuretic peptides from circulation. The intracellular domain of NPRC is coupled to inhibitory G proteins and is involved in mediating signal transduction. In order to further elucidate the role of NPRC in signal transduction a proteomic approach was taken to identify putative protein binding partners for NPRC in different cell-types. An interrogation of the molecular association between NPRC and its identified protein binding partner(s) was carried out in different cell types to identify the specific interacting domains. The physiological role of the association between NPRC and its protein binding partner(s) were investigated in situ. Furthermore NPRC is subject to post translation modifications including glycosylation and phosphorylation. Although evidence suggests NPRC is phosphory ated on serine residues the specific amino acid residues that are phosphorylated and the kinases responsible for their phosphorylation has yet to be determined. A recombinant GST-NPRC fusion protein polyclonal NPRC antibody kinase prediction algorithm and several phosphospecific and substrate motif antibodies were utilized to characterize the phosphorylation state of NPRC in vitro.

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