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Dr Chris Bagley
Hanson Institute
Institute of Medical and Veterinary Science
Adelaide, SA 5000
Email: chris.bagley@imvs.sa.gov.au
Tel: +61-8-8222 3714
Fax: +61-8-8232 4092
Homepage: http://www.imvs.sa.gov.au/immunology/research/protein.htm
| Research |
| My research group is interested corticosteroid-binding globulin (CBG), the main carrier of cortisol in the circulation. CBG is a member of the serpin family but is not a protease inhibitor. Rather, CBG is cleaved by leukocyte elastase which results in release of cortisol. CBG has six consensus sites for N-linked glycosylation with one site being essential for binding cortisol. Whether this site is required for correct folding of CBG or directly interacts with cortisol is an unresolved question. We are studying changes to the glycosylation of CBG that occur during normal pregnancy and pregnancy with complications such as hypertension or pre-eclampsia. We have used two-dimensional electrophoresis to resolve glycan isoforms on the basis of their isoelectric points and molecular weights. Our current work aims to characterize the glycosylation at each site and relate this to the biochemical and physiological properties of CBG. Mass spectrometry of glycopeptides and deglycosylated peptides derived from CBG will be the core approach. We are also investigating the significant fall in CBG levels in people with septic shock which may be the result of cleavage of CBG at sites of neutrophil activation. |
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| Collaborations |
Dr. David Torpy, Royal Adelaide Hospital, Adelaide, Australia
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| Publications |
Mitchell, E., Torpy, D.J. & Bagley, C.J. (2004) ?Pregnancy-specific Corticosteroid-Binding Globulin: High Resolution Separation of
Glycan Isoforms? Horm. Metab. Res. (in press)
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