The role of Myosin VI in Membrane traffic and Cell Division. (360G-Wellcome-071162_Z_03_A)

£216,533

Myosin motor proteins move membrane and vesicles along actin tracks. Myosin VI unlike almost all other myosins moves towards the minus end of actin filaments. Our intracellular localisation of myosin VI at the Golgi complex, in clathrin coated pits/vesicles and at kinetochores in mitotic cells indicates that it functions in a wide variety of intracellular processes. The diverse roles of myosin VI are mediated by interaction with a range of different binding partners. The aim of my research is to characterise the roles of myosin VI and its interacting partners, which we have recently identified: 1. In the maintenance of Golgi morphology, sorting of cargo in the trans-Golgi network and in post Golgi transport of vesicles to the plasma membrane; 2. In endocytosis at the apical domain of polarised cells. Using cell lines from the small intestine (Caco-2) and the kidney (MDCK) as well as primary kidney cells isolated from the Snell's waltzer myosin VI knockout mouse, I will determine the sequential steps of the endocytic process and the class of receptor for which myosin VI is important; 3. In mitosis to confirm their localisation at kinetochores and spindle poles and determine their function. I will study how the interaction and activity of these multi-protein complexes containing myosin VI are regulated at various cellular localisations by overexpressing myosin VI of deletion mutants followed by co-immunoprecipitation for subsequent analysis. I will visualise how myosin VI moves in cells using live cell imaging and investigate how its surprisingly wide variety of intracellular functions is so precisely regulated. To investigate which type of motor is required to fulfil this variety of intracellular functions I will study the kinetic and mechanical properties of myosin VI at the single molecule level in collaboration with the group of John Kendrick-Jones at the MRC-Laboratory of Molecular Biology in Cambridge. The information I will gain from these studies will help us to understand how the loss of active myosin VI results in a form of deafness in humans and how alternations in its binding partners cause other disorders such as glaucoma. An understanding of the role of myosin VI in these diseases may allow us to devise therapeutic strategies.

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Grant Details

Amount Awarded 216533
Applicant Surname Buss
Approval Committee Molecules, Genes and Cells Funding Committee
Award Date 2008-08-29T00:00:00+00:00
Financial Year 2007/08
Grant Programme: Title Senior Research Fellowship Basic
Internal ID 071162/Z/03/A
Lead Applicant Prof Folma Buss
Partnership Value 216533
Planned Dates: End Date 2009-09-30T00:00:00+00:00
Planned Dates: Start Date 2008-10-01T00:00:00+00:00
Recipient Org: Country United Kingdom
Region East of England