What We Do

The Protein Studies Research Program, under the direction of Jordan Tang, Ph.D., is interested in the structure and function of several biomedically important aspartic proteases. Historically, this program contributed to the basic structure-function model of aspartic proteases and their inhibition.
Major contributions include the amino acid sequence of the first aspartic protease, pepsin, the identification of catalytic site aspartics, the mechanism of catalysis, and the principle of pepsin inhibition by transition-state analog pepstatin. These discoveries contributed to the understanding and effective design of HIV protease inhibitors.
More recently, scientists in the Protein Studies Research Program reported the identification of beta-secretase as a membrane-anchored aspartic protease named memapsin 2. Memapsin 2 initiates the pathogenesis of Alzheimer’s disease, leading to the production of amyloid-b peptide. Thus, memapsin 2 is a major therapeutic target for the development of inhibitor drugs to treat Alzheimer’s disease. This program has made significant contributions to the development of Alzheimer’s inhibitors and is actively working in this area.
Our Publications

2011
Chang WP, Huang X, Downs D, Cirrito JR, Koelsch G, Holtzman DM, Ghosh AK, Tang J. β-Secretase inhibitor GRL-8234 rescues age-related cognitive decline in APP transgenic mice. FASEB J 25:775-784, 2011. [Abstract]
Li F, Terzyan S, Tang J. Subsite specificity of anthrax lethal factor and its implications for inhibitor development. Biochem Biophys Res Commun 407:400-405, 2011. [Abstract]
Tang J, Ghosh A. Treating transgenic Alzheimer mice with a β-secretase inhibitor, what have we learned? Aging (Albany NY) 3:14-16, 2011. [Abstract]
2012
Ghosh AK, Brindisi M, Tang J. Developing ß-secretase inhibitors for treatment of Alzheimer’s disease. J Neurochem 120 Suppl 1:71-83, 2012. [Abstract]
Li F, Chvyrkova I, Terzyan S, Wakeham N, Turner R, Ghosh AK, Zhang XC, Tang J. Inhibition of anthrax lethal factor: lability of hydroxamate as a chelating group. Appl Microbiol Biotechnol 94:1041-1049, 2012. [Abstract]
Contact Us

Protein Studies Research Program
Oklahoma Medical Research Foundation
825 NE 13th Street, MS 28
Oklahoma City, OK 73104
Phone: (405) 271-7291
Fax: (405) 271-7249
Email: toni-snow@omrf.org




