Understanding the Specificity of the Subcellular Organization of Argonaute Proteins (R07)

• Subject Area: Biochemistry
• Term: since 2023
• Project identifier: Deutsche Forschungsgemeinschaft (DFG) - Project number 464588647

We will study how a recently identified germ granule, with a function in epigenetic inheritance, recruits specific cargo proteins and possibly RNAs. The project will study interactions between disordered and structured proteins and protein domains, and assess how specificity can be achieved by these interactions. The methods used range from computer simulations using various models, to studies with recombinant proteins, to analyses of these granules in an animal (the nematode Caenorhabditis elegans). This work aims to contribute to a better understanding of the functionality of membraneless organelles in general, and to enhance our capabilities to describe such complex cellular organelles using computational approaches.

• DFG Programme: Collaborative Research Centres
• Subproject of: SFB 1551: Polymer Concepts in Cellular Function
• Applicant Institution: Johannes Gutenberg-Universität Mainz
• Project Heads: Professor Dr. René Ketting, Ph.D.; Professor Dr. Lukas Stelzl