Protein-protein and protein-ligand interactions in the glycolytic pathway. (360G-Wellcome-089398_Z_09_A)

£585

T. brucei is a small parasite that causes African trypanisomiasis, commonly known as sleeping sickness, in humans and nagana in cattle in Africa. It has life cycle stages in both the mammalian host and the tsetse fly vector and makes several morphological and biochemical changes when migrating between the two. The mechanisms and control of cell proliferation and differentiation is essential to the life cycle of the parasite and thus understanding the details of these processes is important for the discovery of new drug targets to combat this disease. The genome of T. brucei and other related parasites have been sequenced and many biochemical and genetic tools are available to enable molecular dissection of the genes involved in cell division and differentiation. Previous studies of the structural mechanics of cell division have provided us with some understanding of the temporal and spatial organisation of the cell organelle and cytoskeletal structures [1]. However, much more needs to be understood about the three-dimensional spatial organisation of the cytoskeletal structures and how co-ordination of assembly and cytokinesis is performed in order to better understand the phenotypes presented by the molecular dissection experiments. During my 10 week project I used scanning electron microscopy (SEM), transmission electron microscopy (TEM), immunofluorescence microscopy, and video microscopy to gain more insight into cytoskeletal organisation during cell division, and to compare the processes in the procyclic and the bloodstream forms of the parasite. SEM and video microscopy revealed important differences between the procyclic and bloodstream forms during cell division regarding attachment and growth of the new flagellum, the degree of staggering of the daughter cells during cleavage furrow ingression and the nature of the cytoplasmic connection between the two daughter cells, present just before cell abscission. Fluorescent labelling of ?-tubulin and TEM images provided some evidence for the presence of microtubules in the cytoplasmic connection in the procyclic form, although more evidence is needed.

Where is this data from?

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Grant Details

Amount Awarded 585
Applicant Surname Mitchell
Approval Committee Molecules, Genes and Cells Funding Committee
Award Date 2011-05-20T00:00:00+00:00
Financial Year 2010/11
Grant Programme: Title PhD Studentship (Basic)
Internal ID 089398/Z/09/A
Lead Applicant Ms Alice Mitchell
Partnership Value 585
Planned Dates: End Date 2014-11-30T00:00:00+00:00
Planned Dates: Start Date 2011-01-01T00:00:00+00:00
Recipient Org: Country United Kingdom
Region Scotland
Sponsor(s) Prof David Tollervey, Prof Jean Beggs