Catherine E. Costello
Professor of Biochemistry and Biophysics
Departments of Biochemistry and Biophysics
Director, Mass Spectrometry Resource
Boston University School of Medicine
Mass Spectrometry Resource
670 Albany Street, Rm 511
Boston, MA 02118-2526
Phone: 617-638-6490
Fax: 617-638-6491
Email: cecmsms@bu.edu
Web site for Mass Spectrometry Resource
Education:
A.B., Emmanuel College, Boston, MA
M.S., Ph.D., Georgetown University, Washington, DC
Research Interest:
Biopolymer structural studies based on development and application of mass spectral methods
The objective of our research is to establish the detailed structures of biopolymers in order to understand their structure-activity relationships as they influence or reflect biological processes related to health, growth and development, and disease. Our particular focus for new method development is on the needs of glycobiology, since carbohydrates and their conjugates (glycoproteins, glycolipids, etc.) are involved in targeting and immune system recognition, nervous system growth and development, infection, parasite response, carcinogenesis, and other critical processes. The techniques for full structural characterization of these complex molecules are much less developed than are methods for linear biopolymers (proteins and oligonucleotides). Recent introduction of new mass spectral ionization methods and rapid progress in means for mass separation and detection now make it possible to perform structural studies on low picomole amounts of samples even when they are complex mixtures. In our research program we are refining and extending the tools of mass spectrometry and are applying them to studies of biopolymers undertaken with collaborators at BUSM and other institutions around and outside the US. Our laboratory is a Resource Center sponsored by the NIH National Center for Research Resources.
Representative publications:
Characterization of Transthyretin Variants in Familial Transthyretin Amyloidosis by Mass Spectrometric Peptide Mapping and DNA Sequence Analysis. Lim, A.; Prokaeva, T.; McComb, M. E.; O’Connor, P. B.; Théberge, R.; Connors, L. H.; Skinner, M.; Costello, C. E.,
High Pressure Matrix-Assisted Laser Desorption/Ionization Fourier Transform Mass Spectrometry for Minimization of Ganglioside Fragmentation. O’Connor, P. B.; Mirgorodskaya, E.; Costello, C. E., J. Am. Soc. Mass Spectrom. 2002, 13, 402-407.
Chemical-Modification Rescue Assessed by Mass Spectrometry Demonstrates That ?-thia-lysine Yields the Same Activity as Lysine in Aldolase. Hopkins, C. E.; O’Connor, P. B.; Allen, K. N.; Costello, C. E.; Tolan, D. R., Protein Sci. 2002, 11, 1591-1599.
Ppm1, a Novel Polyprenol Monophosphomannose Synthase from Mycobacterium tuberculosis. Gurcha, S. S.; Baulard, A. R.; Kremer, L.; Locht, C.; Moody, D. B.; Mühlecker, W.; Costello, C. E.; Crick, D. C.; Brennan, P. J.; Besra, G. S., Biochem. J. 2002, 365(Pt 2) 441-450.
The Fine Structure of Caenorhabditiselegans N-glycans. Cipollo, J. F.; Costello, C. E.; Hirschberg, C. B., J. Biol. Chem. 2002, 277, 49143-49157.
Identification of Protein Components in Human Acquired Enamel Pellicle and Whole Saliva Using Novel Proteomics Approaches. Yao, Y.; Berg, E. A.; Costello, C. E.; Troxler, R. F.; Oppenheim, F. G., J. Biol. Chem. 2003, 278, 5300-5308.
The Cytosolic Entry of Diptheria Toxin Catalytic Domain Requires a Host Cell Cytosolic Translocation Factor Complex. Ratts, R.; Zeng, H.; Berg, E. A.; Blue, C.; McComb, M. E.; Costello, C. E.; van der Spek, J. C.; Murphy, J. R., J. Cell Biol. 2003, 160, 1139-1150.
Tandem Mass Spectrometry of Sulfated Heparin-like Glycosaminoglycan Oligosaccharides. Zaia, J.; Costello, C. E., Anal.Chem. 2003, 75, 2445-2455.
Structural Features of Covalently Cross-linked Hydroxylase and Reductase Proteins of Soluble Methane Monooxygenase as Revealed by Mass Spectrometric Analysis. Kopp, D. A.; Berg, E. A.; Costello, C. E.; Lippard, S. J., J. Biol. Chem. 2003, 278, 20929-20945.
Identification of S-Sulfonation and S-Thiolation of a Novel Transthyretin Phe33Cys Variant from a Patient Diagnosed with Familial Transthyretin Amyloidosis. Lim, A.; Prokaeva, T.; McComb, M. E.; Connors, L. H.; Skinner, M.; Costello, C. E., Prot. Sci. 2003, 12, 1775-1785.
Electron Capture Dissociation Initiates a Free Radical Reaction Cascade. Leymarie, N.; Costello, C. E.; O’Connor, P. B., J. Am. Chem. Soc. 2003, 125, 8949-8958.
