The FASEB Journal Highlights Dr. Xiuli Sun’s Research

The Journal of the Federation of American Societies for Experimental Biology (FASEB) published Research Associate Xiuli Sun’s ORAL BIO 08 abstract titled, "Kinetics of histatin proteolysis in whole saliva and the effect on bioactive domains with metal-binding, antifungal, and wound-healing properties," in the August 2009 issue.

The FASEB Journal publication details research that Dr. Sun has been working on for the past three years under the supervision of Associate Professor Dr. Eva Helmerhorst. Co-authors on the publication are Associate Professor Dr. Erdjan Salih and Professor and Chair of Periodontology and Oral Biology Dr. Frank Oppenheim.

"Using the mass spectrometer, the HPLC, and other techniques available in our department I have covered histatin proteolysis from start to finish, first as a student and then as a research associate," explained Dr. Sun. "The research published in the FASEB Journal details my investigation of the rate and mode of degradation of individual histatin proteins in whole saliva in an effort to establish the impact on their functional domains."

The data gathered by Dr. Sun indicated that metal-binding, antifungal, and wound-healing domains in histatins are largely unaffected by the primary cleavage events in whole saliva. This suggests a sustained functional activity of these proteins in the proteolytic environment of the oral cavity.

“Research on the dynamic composition of oral fluid focuses on what happens to proteins between their synthesis in the glands and their removal from the oral cavity by swallowing," said Dr. Helmerhorst. "Our discoveries on proteolytic target sites in salivary proteins provide information on oral enzymatic cleavage specificities and help in the formulation of salivary protein-derived peptide analogs that are more resistant to salivary protease activities. Such biofunctional domains with prolonged retention times in the oral cavity could in the future be applied as therapeutic agents."

Dr. Helmerhorst added, "This paper was the golden crown on Xiuli’s thesis work and I am very proud of all that she has accomplished."

"Dr. Sun’s research is remarkable," said Dean Jeffrey Hutter. He added, "I am continually pleased with the high level of research conducted at our School."