Project Details
Projekt
Characterisation of N-WASP-defective-cells and N-WASP-interacting proteins
Applicant
Professor Dr. Jürgen Wehland (†)
Subject Area
Cell Biology
Term
from 1998 to 2008
Project identifier
Deutsche Forschungsgemeinschaft (DFG) - Project number 5154460
The Act A protein of Listeria monocytogenes is sufficient to induce actin filament formation on the bacterial surface within infected host cells, leading to intracellular bacterial movement. Thus this intracellular bacterial pathogen serves as a simplified model for the analysis of actin-based cell motility. The ActA protein harbors several sites which interact with microfilament-associated proteins that are involved in the process of actin filament formation, including thus far the Ena/VASP protein family and the Arp 2/3 complex. Therefore the identification of eucaryotic proteins which harbor ActA-related motifs should help to elucidate the process of actin filament formation. During the first year of funding we identified an eucaryotic protein that is restricted to hematopoietic cells and that harbors an Ena/VASP, i.e., EVH1 domain binding motif and interacts in vivo and in vitro with members of the Ena/VASP protein family. This protein localizes to lamellipodia of spreading platelets and is recruited to contact sites between T-cells and anti-CD3 coated beads, mimicking antigen presenting cells (APCs), during T-cell activation. Therefore one aim of this proposal is to characterize this Ena/VASP binding protein in detail in order to elucidate its role in cytoskeletal reorganization, a prerequisite for T-cell migration and activation. The second aim of this proposal is to apply a similar approach to non-hematopoietic cells to identify the key players involved in actin-based extension of lamellipodia.
DFG Programme
Priority Programmes
Participating Person
Professor Dr. Klemens Rottner
