Claude Lazure, PhD
Dr. Lazure has a special interest in the biosynthesis and secretion of endocrine hormones and neuropeptides. More specifically, he is studying a member of the convertase family, enzymes that are involved in the production of hormonal messengers. Certain members of that enzyme family act inside secretion granules to produce active entities that will be secreted in the bloodstream, based on biologically inactive precursors. Using current techniques in protein chemistry, he hopes to gain a greater understanding of the influence of the medium, represented by secretion granules, on the activity and enzyme specificity of convertase PC1/3. While this study applies techniques for studying interactions between proteins to elucidate the molecular structure and develop inhibitors, it is also based on the development of new techniques that make it possible to study secretion granules and their contents via modern approaches used in the study of proteomics.
Over time, this study may lead to a better understanding of the important role PC1/3 plays in the production of vital organic entities, and that understanding may extend to other convertases eventually involved in certain human pathologies.
Degrees and relevant experience
