2016 Participants
Alex Blain
Modification of proteins by the small protein ubiquitin regulates fundamental cell processes from simple yeast to humans. Importantly, deregulation of ubiquitin is linked with common diseases such as cancer and therefore, to develop effective clinical treatments, it is essential to understand normal functions of ubiquitin. Ubiquitin forms chains on target proteins and one such chain involves lysine at position 63 in ubiquitin (K63). Interestingly, although K63 ubiquitin chains are linked to signalling functions remarkably little is known about this type of cell regulation. Hence we aim to utilise state-of-the-art robotics, together with large collections of yeast gene mutations, to investigate K63 linkages in all cell functions. To achieve this aim the current project successfully constructed yeast strains containing deletions of normal ubiquitin expressing genes and obtained DNA vectors, which express genes required for the robotics screen. These reagents are essential for future studies of the functions of K63 ubiquitin chains.
Funding source: Newcastle University
Supervisor: Prof Brian A. Morgan