Molecular dissection of the human autophagy signaling pathway

• Applicant: Professor Dr. Christian Behrends, Ph.D.
• Subject Area: Cell Biology
• Term: from 2011 to 2017
• Project identifier: Deutsche Forschungsgemeinschaft (DFG) - Project number 193758428

Autophagy, the process by which proteins and organelles are sequestered in autophagosomal ve-sicles and delivered to the lysosome/vacuole for degradation, provides a primary route for turnover of stable and defective cellular proteins. Defects in this system are linked with numerous human diseases. Although conserved protein kinase, lipid kinase and ubiquitin-like protein conjugation subnetworks controlling autophagosome formation and cargo recruitment have been defined, our understanding of the global organization and dynamic regulation of this system is limited. Recent systematical proteomic work provided a snapshot of the pathways’ architecture in human cells. This research proposal aims at determining the dynamic organization of protein complexes in distinct autophagy signaling modules and their regulation by posttranslational modifications in response to modulation of this critical protein homeostasis pathway.

• DFG Programme: Independent Junior Research Groups
• Major Instrumentation: Preparatives Purification System
• Instrumentation Group: 1350 Flüssigkeits-Chromatographen (außer Aminosäureanalysatoren 317), Ionenaustauscher