PULLMAN – Washington State University Research Foundation and G-Biosciences have entered into a worldwide technology licensing agreement for patent rights to a spectroscopic method for assaying the activity of a key class of enzymes involved in several biological systems, including signal transduction, protein repair, chromatin regulation and gene silencing.
WSU chemist and Associate Professor Zhaohui Sunny Zhou and research associate Kathleen Dorgan led the team that developed the new assay, which allows researchers to measure the activities of a large and diverse family of enzymes called methyltransferases in cell extracts.
“We found this technology to be a fabulous opportunity to add to our existing line of assays and proteomic tools”, said James Murray, director of Sales and Marketing for G-Biosciences. “We also believe that methylation studies will be an expanding area of research as scientists discover additional regulator effects of methylation of proteins and nucleic acids.”
Methyltransferases help regulate the functioning of genes and proteins by attaching a small chemical called a methyl group to them. Abnormal methylation patterns have been implicated in a wide range of health problems, including cancer, arthritis, and depression.
While other key regulatory systems within cells work like on/off switches, Zhou said methylation acts more like a dimmer switch; the difference between health and a disease state depends on the amount and pattern of methylation of key molecules, rather than the simple presence or absence of methyl groups.
He said the new test allows researchers to continuously monitor the methyltransferase activity within a sample. That offers an advantage over previous assays, which typically provided a single measurement at the end of the test, and which destroyed part of the sample in the process. Zhou’s new test will detect the presence of more than 150 different methyltransferase reactions, providing researchers a convenient way of determining which samples merit closer scrutiny and characterizing them in greater detail.
“Dr. Zhou and his research team at WSU have developed a technology that provides a powerful new tool for an emerging area of research” said Keith Jones, executive director at the WSU Research Foundation. “We are pleased to take the science to the next stage in the commercial development by partnering with G-Biosciences. We believe our research has the potential to have a major impact in the study of biological signaling. We look forward to a long and mutually rewarding relationship with G-Biosciences.”
The WSU Research Foundation (WSURF) is a non-profit Washington corporation that facilitates the efficient transfer of technology, proprietary information and materials to the private sector for the purpose of increasing the impact of research conducted at WSU. For more information about WSURF visit www.wsurf.org.
G-Biosciences is a brand name of Geno Technology, Inc. a privately held corporation based in St. Louis, Missouri. The company provides research tools for proteomics, genomics, and the cell biology markets. The company has offices in the U.S. and India and a worldwide distribution network. For more information about G-Biosciences visit www.GBiosciences.com.
