Cell Cycle dependent changes in myosin 1 functions

• Applicant: Professor Dr. Georgios Tsiavaliaris
• Subject Area: Cell Biology
• Term: from 2006 to 2013
• Project identifier: Deutsche Forschungsgemeinschaft (DFG) - Project number 14023866

Myosins play a central role driving a wide range of motile processes. The diversity of these processes is reflected by the large number of myosin motors that are found in our cells. Currently, genes encoding 39 human myosins have been identified, which are classified in 12 distinct classes. Dictyostelium discoideum, a highly motile organism that can dependent on growth conditions exist as independent cells or interact to form multicellular structures, has in comparison a much smaller complement of 11 myosins belonging to classes I (7), II (1), V (1), VII (1), and XIV (1). Notably, Dictyostelium lacks known backwards moving myosins from class VI and IX. Therefore, we speculate that actin-based, inwards-directed transport from the cell periphery is mediated by a class I myosin. We will employ direct functional in vivo and in vitro assays to show that the class-l myosin myosin-IC is responsible for this activity. Additionally, we will use protein engineering approaches and compare the functional behavior of single and double-headed myosin V constructs, to elucidate the structural features that allow this motor protein to transport vesicles in an apparently processive fashion against pN forces inside the cell.

• DFG Programme: Research Units
• Subproject of: FOR 629: Molecular Mechanisms of Cell Motility