Structural and functional analyses of motor protein-homologues form bacteria and yeasts

• Applicant: Dr. Manfred Konrad
• Subject Area: Biophysics
• Term: from 1999 to 2004
• Project identifier: Deutsche Forschungsgemeinschaft (DFG) - Project number 5175226

In Material cell division, newly replicated chromosomes are equally distributed between two daughter cells. In E. coli, this partition process is most likely achieved through the interplay of two proteins, FtsZ and MukB. The predicted multidomain structure of MukB is reminiscent of eukaryotic motor proteins. It may use nucleotide hydrolysis to generate force, thereby interacting with the tubulin-like FtsZ protein to move chromosomes in opposite directions. The actin-like FtsA protein might be another constituent of the Material cytoskeletal framework. Our research proposal aims at the dissection of this force-generating mechanism. We intend to determine the structural and functional properties of MukB and its subfragments. As we analyze individual steps of nucleotide binding and hydrolysis, we should obtain information to understand the mechanistic features that are common to and different from eukaryotic motor proteins. Finally, the study of a MukB-homologue from yeast should help to define the overall structural requirements of this novel class of force-generating transducer proteins.

• DFG Programme: Priority Programmes
• Subproject of: SPP 1068: Molekulare Motoren