Christopher Grefen - Genetic analysis of GET pathway components in Arabidopsis thaliana

  • Datum: 26.10.2016
  • Uhrzeit: 14:00 - 15:30
  • Vortragende(r): Christoper Grefen, ZMBP Developmental Genetics, University of Tübingen, Germany
  • Ort: Central Building
  • Raum: Seminar Room
  • Gastgeber: Arun Sampathkumar
SNARE proteins catalyse the final step inmembrane fusion with their cognate SNARE partners through tight interaction viatheir cytosolic N-terminal domains. Their C-terminal membrane anchor pulls theopposite membranes together, overcoming the strong dehydration forces associatedwith the lipid bilayer and ultimately leading to fusion of the two membranes.This important function is prerequisite to a multitude of vital cellularfunctions such as trafficking of cargo to the outside of the cell or addingadditional membrane material to the plasma membrane for expansion.In yeast and mammals integration oftail-anchored (TA) membrane proteins seems to be facilitated via cytosoliccomponents in an ATP-dependent fashion. This ‘Guided-Entry of TA proteins’(GET) pathway has not been described in plants where research focusses on theimport pathways into chloroplasts and mitochondria. How the abundance of SNAREand other important TA proteins are integrated into the ER membrane in plantsis currently entirely unknown.We have identified the candidates involved in aputative GET pathway of Arabidopsis.Our data show that plants have evolved multiple orthologues of specific GETpathway components, albeit in a compartment-specific manner. In contrast,others seem to be absent in plants suggesting differences in the proteininsertion mechanism or the development of alternative pathways. The latterhypothesis is supported by highly specific rather than general phenotypesassociated with loss-of-function lines highlighting the plant’s need for backupinsertion mechanisms.
Zur Redakteursansicht