Login

Publications  •  Project Statistics

Glossary  •  Schools  •  Disciplines
People Search: 
   
Title/Abstract Search: 

Dissertation Information for Christopher Lee Curfman

NAME:
- Christopher Lee Curfman

DEGREE:
- Ph.D.

DISCIPLINE:
- Chemistry

SCHOOL:
- Emory University (USA) (2000)

ADVISORS:
- Dennis C. Liotta

COMMITTEE MEMBERS:
- Frank E. McDonald
- Lanny S. Liebeskind
- Alfred Merrill Jr.

MPACT Status: Fully Complete

Title: Synthetic strategies toward omega-functionalized sphingolipid analogs

Abstract: "Sphingolipids are a diverse class of molecules, which share a common 2-amino-1,3-diol backbone moiety. These molecules are found in nearly all cell types and play critical roles in cellular functions such as membrane constitution, signal transduction, and cell-cell communication. Sphingolipids are also involved in growth regulation, in particular carcinogenesis and apoptosis, which further creates interest in their biosynthesis and regulation. Investigations in these areas have shown that sphingolipid pathways are affected by fumonisins, mycotoxins that are structurally similar to sphingolipids and commonly found in foods. The specific target for fumonisins is ceramide synthase, an important enzyme for sphingolipid biosynthesis. It would be beneficial to study this enzyme in greater depth to learn more about fumonisins' mechanisms of action as well as to better understand sphingolipid biosynthesis.

The research described herein focused on finding an efficient and versatile synthetic strategy for preparing a novel class of sphingolipids: those that contain a ù-functional group. The merits and shortcomings of several methods are discussed and relevant technical and biological data are given for various analogs. Furthermore, attaching these derivatives onto a resin with a covalent anchor between the ù-functional group and an activated polymeric support suggested a method for isolating ceramide synthase by affinity chromatography. Moreover, these immobilized sphingolipids would also be beneficial for combinatorially generating sphingolipid libraries."

MPACT Scores for Christopher Lee Curfman

A = 0
C = 0
A+C = 0
T = 0
G = 0
W = 0
TD = 0
TA = 0
calculated 2008-04-13 14:07:52

Advisors and Advisees Graph