Amanda Aloia

Postgraduate Student

Contact Details

Academic Qualifications

• Bachelor of Nanotechnology (Honours)

Research 

G-Protein Coupled Receptor Expression

I am studying three members of the G-Protein Coupled Receptor (GPCR) family. GPCRs are seven transmembrane receptors that are involved in a wide variety of cell signalling processes and this makes them highly targeted by pharmaceuticals. I am working with the M2 Muscarinic receptor, H1 Histamine receptor and the 5HT2A receptor. These receptors are targeted by treatments for chronic obstructive pulmonary disease, allergies and psychosis, respectively. I am producing the receptors as recombinant proteins using the baculovirus/insect cell expression system. The overall aim is purification of one or more or the proteins for use in structural studies.  However I am also interested in how the receptors interact with their functional proteins  - the G-proteins. Cell-free assays using semi-pure receptor membranes and purified G-proteins gives an insight into how the receptors function in the cell and may provide a platform for screening new pharmaceuticals to target the receptors.

Publications 
 

• Leifert, W.R., Bailey, K.B., Cooper, T.H., Aloia, A.L., Glatz, R.V. and McMurchie, E.J. Measurement of hetero-trimeric G-protein and RGS interaction by homogenous time resolved fluorescence resonance energy transfer. Analytical Biochemistry (2006) 355:201.
• Leifert, W.R., Aloia, A.L., Bucco, O.B. and McMurchie, E.J. G-protein dissociation in early stage signal transduction. Molecular Membrane Biology (2005) 22(6):507.
• Leifert, W.R., Aloia, A.L., Bucco, O.B., Glatz, R.V. and McMurchie, E.J. Cell free technologies for G-protein coupled receptors: nano-sizing using molecular biology approaches. Journal of Biomolecular Screening (2005) 10(8):765.

Supervisor

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