Activation of the unfolded protein response of the endoplasmic reticulum (UPRER) by aberrant Ca2+ signals (A21*)

• Subject Area: Biochemistry
• Term: from 2019 to 2022
• Project identifier: Deutsche Forschungsgemeinschaft (DFG) - Project number 157660137

The endoplasmic reticulum (ER) is a key organelle of protein folding, lipid metabolism, and Ca2+ homeostasis. These functions are intrinsically connected to each other. Perturbation with any of these functions can cause ER-stress and followed by an activation of the unfolded protein response (UPR). This project aims to identify the mechanism of UPR activation by aberrant Ca2+ Signals and to establish the molecular rules underlying signal interaction by UPR transducers. Using sophisticated protocols for the immuno-isolation of organelles and state-of-the-art lipidomics, the lipid fingerprints of a stressed ER and of aberrant Ca2+ signals shall be established with subcellular resolution.

• DFG Programme: Collaborative Research Centres
• Subproject of: SFB 894: Ca2+-Signalling: Molecular Mechanisms and Integrative Functions
• Applicant Institution: Universität des Saarlandes
• Project Head: Professor Dr. Robert Ernst