Spectrin-liknande proteiner – mångfasetterade protein i cellen

Forskningsprojekt Min forskning rör två proteiner, spectrin och α-actinin, och är inriktat på att förstå deras strukturella och funktionella roller i cellen.

De flesta processer som sker i våra celler, som muskelkontraktion, befruktning, ciliers rörelse, transport i nerver, är alla beroende på ett fungerande cytoskelett. Många sjukdomar, som Alzheimers och Parkinsons beror på förändringar nervercellernas cytoskelett. Vi studerar två proteiner, spectrin och α-actinin för att förstå hur dessa proteiner interagerar med plasmamembranet och andra proteiner i cellen.

Projektansvarig

Lars Backman Professor emeritus

E-post

090-786 58 47

Projektöversikt

Projektperiod:

2018-01-11 – 2020-12-31

Finansiering

EU, 2003-2004: 1 200 000 kr

Medverkande institutioner och enheter vid Umeå universitet

Kemiska institutionen, Teknisk-naturvetenskaplig fakultet

Forskningsämne

Biologi, Kemi, Molekylärbiologi och genetik

Projektmedlemmar

Externa projektmedlemmar

Barbara Addario, doktorand

Projektbeskrivning

α‑actinins are ubiquitous actin-binding proteins present in most eukaryotes. Due to their ability to bind and cross-link actin filaments in a calcium dependent manner, α‑actinins are important regulators of the intracellular infrastructure.
Although considerably knowledge is available about vertebrate α‑actinins, very little is known about the atypical “short” α‑actinins found in protozoa and fungi. Therefore we have cloned and are in the progress of isolating and characterising α‑actinins of Entamoeba and Schizosaccharomyces pombe in order to determine their actin-binding and cross-linking activities as well as calcium-binding properties and structure.
The Entamoeba α‑actinins are of particular interest, as these have been implicated in the adherence and invasion of the human host. Further characterisation of α‑actinins of this parasite will therefore expand the knowledge base and improve the understanding of the mechanism and strategy Entamoeba utilizes for infection. This is important as Entamoeba induced amoebiasis is a major killer in the poorer parts of the world. Since it is likely that other intracellular parasites, such as Trypanosoma, Giardia and Trichomonas, have developed similar mechanisms for infection, such knowledge will be valuable also in these cases.