UNIFESP - EPM - Department of Biophysics
Enzymology Lab
“We study key enzymes linked to human health, plant diseases and biotechnology”
ACE-1
Key enzyme in blood pressure regulation. ACE inhibitors are the most important drugs to treat hypertension. We patented a specific ACE substrate used to measure the activity of this enzyme in blood samples. The ACE activity level is an important bio-marker for hypertension.
Angiotensin converting enzyme 1
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Hypertension
PREP
PREP accelerates the alpha-synuclein aggregation. PREP inhibitors blocks this effect being potential drugs for synucleinopathies (e.g. Parkinson Disease). We are investigating this interaction by NMR and spectroscopic probes placed at specific sites of the PREP structure by the amber codon suppression technology.
Prolyl
Oligopeptidase
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Parkinson
NS2B/NS3
The NS2B/NS3 protease process the viral poly-protein through cleavages at the cytosolic side. This enzyme is essential for the intracellular viral replication. We are studying the proteases from Dengue and Zika viruses. We aim to develop inhibitors selected by a new method we constructed, witch consist of an in cell high-throughput screening.
Proteases from flaviviruses
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Dengue/Zika
Cathepsin
Currently the Cathepsins B and L from Diaphorina citri, vector of the Candidatus Liberibacter spp are being cloned and studied. This bacteria is the causative agent of Huanglongbing (HLB) disease, the most destructive disease for citric plantation.
Lysossomal cathepsins
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Huanglongbing
TOP
TOP is involved in the intracellular metabolism of peptides ,being important for the MHC class I antigen presentation route (i.e. cellular immunity). We are developing methods to detect the activity of this enzyme inside living cells to better understand which factors regulate its activity into the intracellular medium.
Thimet
Oligopeptidase
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Immunology
Falcipain
Falcipain-2 is a cysteine peptidase from Plasmodin flaciparum (the causative agent of malaria). It is involved in the hemoglobin digestion by the parasite when it is infecting a red blood cell.
Proteases from P. falciparum
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Malaria
GNP
Bound to GNP proteins aquire different properties. We are coupling different proteases to GNP and characterizing these nanoproducts obtained, aiming to develop more stable proteases for biotechnological applications.
Proteases in Gold Nanoparticles
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Biotechnology
Angiogenesis
Peptidases and their peptide substrates or products involved in angiogenesis are being studied using cellular models coupled with microscopy.
Proteases and peptides
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Cancer
Meet The Team
Associate Professor
PREP, TOP and viral proteases.
Full Professor
ACE-1, Cathepsins and Malaria projects.
Associate Professor
Proteases and new peptides that regulates angiogenesis.
Researcher
Involved in the research projects on angiogenesis and malaria.
Technician
Helps all scientifc projetcs of the Lab.
Researcher
Responsible for the Gold Nano Particles project. Involved in the projects on TOP and Cathepsins.
Post Doc
Studies the cell signaling cascade involved in cell differentiation.
Post Doc
Involved in the research projects on malaria.
PhD stduent
Works in the cloning and characterization of Diaphorina citri cathepsins, for use as molecular targets in combating the insect, vector of Huanglongbing disease.
PhD stduent
Studies the influence of PREP and PREPL on the alpha-synuclein aggregation.
PhD stduent
Works on the development of the in cell high trought put screening methods for intracellular protease inhibitors.
PhD student
Works on the development of allosteric inhibitors for NS2-NS3 protease from Zika Virus
PhD student
Correlation of the malignancy of leukemia cells with the activity and expression of peptidases.
Master student
Studies HPV infected cells aiming to better understand the relationship among the resultant oxidative stress with TOP activity and the MHC class I expression.