College
Buchtel College of Arts and Sciences
Date of Last Revision
2025-04-26 12:11:08
Major
Biochemistry
Honors Course
CHEM 497
Number of Credits
2
Degree Name
Bachelor of Science
Date of Expected Graduation
Spring 2025
Abstract
Researchers are targeting cytochrome P450 46A1 (CYP46A1), an enzyme critical for brain cholesterol homeostasis, as a potential therapeutic approach for neurological diseases. CYP46A1 plays a key role in cholesterol turnover in the brain by catalyzing the conversion of cholesterol to 24S-hydroxycholesterol (24HC) and is linked to Alzheimer’s disease pathophysiology. Given its critical role in brain health, CYP46A1 represents a promising target for therapeutic intervention in neurological disorders. The goal of this project was to express the CYP46A1 protein in GC5 E. coli cells and purify the protein using chromatographic techniques including affinity and ion exchange chromatography. Ultraviolet-Visible (UV-Vis) spectroscopy was used to characterize the purity of the obtained protein, which resulted in a final Rz (A420/A280) value of 0.720. This A420/A280 ratio and SDS-PAGE results confirm that further purification of the CYP46A1 protein is required. The protein obtained in this study will be used in future studies that will address pressing mechanistic questions regarding the structure and function of CYP46A1 using resonance Raman (rR) spectroscopy.
Research Sponsor
Dr. Yilin Liu
First Reader
Dr. Chunming Liu
Second Reader
Dr. Peter Niewiarowski
Honors Faculty Advisor
Dr. William Donovan
Proprietary and/or Confidential Information
No
Recommended Citation
Jirles, Lauren, "Expression and Purification of Cytochrome P450 46A1 for Resonance Raman Spectroscopy" (2025). Williams Honors College, Honors Research Projects. 1972.
https://ideaexchange.uakron.edu/honors_research_projects/1972