Saliva is an essential fluid for maintaining not only oral homeostasis, but also for carrying out vital functions such as swallowing, chewing and lubrication. Some systemic diseases such as Sjögren syndrome, and traumatic or iatrogenic events like head and neck radiotherapy, can alter the salivary fluid rate, as well as the salivary composition.
Salivary gland secretion involves the dynamic interaction of the major and minor salivary glands and many other glandular structures which in a coordinated way excrete saliva into the oral cavity. The secretory process is a highly regulated mechanism in which Cl - channels, K + channels, Cl - /HCO 3 - exchangers, aquaporins, Na + /H + exchangers, carbonic anhydrases, Na + /K + /2Cl - co-transporter and the Na + /K + ATPase work in unison to generate saliva. The activation of these proteins on the basolateral and apical membranes of the acinar cells, determines the rate and direction of salt and water secretion, thus producing the primary saliva (isotonic) which is excreted into the lumen. Conversely, activation of the ion transport proteins expressed in ductal cells promotes the excretion of hypotonic saliva, due to the reabsorption of NaCl and the excretion of K + /HCO 3 - .
Within the last five years Proteomics has changed the understanding of molecular biology. Analytical methods and new techniques for proteomics have become available for characterizing thousands of proteins, gathering important information about their physicochemical properties, and studying their role in biological processes and human disease.
The main focus of my current research is to determine the molecular identity of some proteins involved in salivary secretion by MALDI-TOF Mass Spectroscopy in order to gather further understanding about their physiological role in health and disease processes. |
