EXPRESSION VECTORS FOR SECRETED HUMAN ESTROGEN RECEPTOR

THE LONG-TERM GOAL OF THE RESEARCH IS TO OBTAIN A CHINESE HAMSTER OVARY CELL LINE CAPABLE OF PRODUCING HUMAN ESTROGEN RECEPTOR AS A SIGNIFICANT AMOUNT OF ITS SECRETED PROTEIN. PURIFIED RECEPTOR PROTEIN MAY THEN BE USED (1) TO OBTAIN X-RAY CRYSTALLOGRAPHIC DATA ON THE STRUCTURE OF THE RECEPTOR TO AID IN RATIONAL ANTI-ESTROGEN DRUG DESIGN, AND (2) TO ACT AS A RESEARCH REAGENT FOR THE DEVELOPMENT OF ESTROGEN ANTAGONISTS FOR TREATMENT OF ESTROGEN RECEPTOR TUMORS. THE SPECIFIC AIM OF THE PROPOSAL IS THE PRODUCTION OF A MAMMALIAN CELL EXPRESSION VECTOR CAPABLE OF ENCODING A SECRETED ESTROGEN RECEPTOR AND THE PRODUCTION OF CHO CELL TRANSFECTANT POOLS USING THIS VECTOR. A PRIMARY ACCOMPLISHMENT WILL BE THE INVENTION OF EXPRESSION VECTORS ALLOWING FOR THE RAPID CONSTRUCTION AND IN VITRO ANALYSIS OF ANY NOVEL SECRETORY PROTEIN.