Centre for Free Radical Research student Teagan Hoskin gave her PhD exit seminar on the oxidative post-translational modifications of calprotectin during inflammation at the UOC Research Seminar Series on Monday afternoon in the Beaven Lecture Theatre.
Teagan has been investigating calprotectin, an abundant neutrophil protein that contributes to host defence by chelating essential metal ions required for bacterial growth. Calprotectin, a heterodimer of S100A8 and S100A9 subunits is released from activated neutrophils, leading to increased extracellular levels during infection and inflammation.
For her thesis, Teagan examined oxidative post-translational modifications of calprotectin. She showed that hypochlorous acid produced by activated neutrophils induced reversible cross-linking of S100A8 and S100A9 calprotectin subunits. Reversible calprotectin cross-linking was also detected in saline washings from the lungs of children with cystic fibrosis, from adults with respiratory infections or lung cancer, and in saliva from healthy adults, highlighting the importance of understanding the functional implications of calprotectin cross-linking.
In addition, oxidised calprotectin was found to be more susceptible to proteolysis. This suggests that calprotectin specific peptides may be effective biomarkers of neutrophil activation and protease activity in various infective and inflammatory conditions.
Teagan's PhD supervisors are Professors Tony Kettle, Richard Gearry, Andrew Day and Dr Nina Dickerhof.