Architecture and function of the organelle contact sites of the vacuole (P24)

• Subject Area: Cell Biology
• Term: from 2020 to 2022
• Project identifier: Deutsche Forschungsgemeinschaft (DFG) - Project number 180879236

Membrane contact sites are areas in which binding proteins produce a close attachment of the membranes of two organelles without leading to fusion. These structures are platforms that enable the exchange of lipids and soluble metabolites between organelles and thus support the coordination of metabolism in the cell. We have recently identified the uncharacterized protein Cvm1 as a new component of contact sites between vacuole, mitochondria and peroxisomes. The project will address two closely related issues. In the first part, it will be clarified how Cvm1 creates different contact sites at vacuoles, which proteins it interacts with on the different organelles and which domains within the protein are required for these interactions. The second goal focuses on the function of Cvm1 and the contact sites it forms and their relevance for cellular physiology. The project will thus introduce a new microcompartment into the SFB with membrane contact sites and clarify their relevance in the cellular context in close cooperation with other groups.

• DFG Programme: Collaborative Research Centres
• Subproject of: SFB 944: Physiology and Dynamics of Cellular Microcompartments
• Applicant Institution: Universität Osnabrück
• Project Head: Dr. Ayelen Gonzalez Montoro