Structure, Function and Regulation of Myosin Motors

• Applicant: Dr. F. Jon Kull
• Subject Area: Biophysics
• Term: from 1999 to 2004
• Project identifier: Deutsche Forschungsgemeinschaft (DFG) - Project number 5175212

The major focus of this project is to determine the mechanistic details of kinesin and myosin motor proteins through the use of X-ray crystallographic techniques. The catalytic motor domains of myosin will be overexpressed in Dictyostelium and both the motor domain as the entire kinesin protein and its light chains will be expressed in E. coli, as well as Dictyostelium expression systems. A number of mutant and modified myosin II motor fragments are already available for structural analysis and the expression level, purity, and quality of crystals obtained from the these soluble constructs will be optimized. Together with Dr. D. J. Manstein (MPI for Medical Research), the structural characterization of Class I, II, V, and VII myosin proteins will be attempted. Additionally, in collaboration with Dr. D. J. Manstein, Dr. I. Schlichting (MPI Dortmund) and H. G. Mannherz (Ruhr University Bochum), we will attempt to determine the high resolution structure of the myosin motor in complex with actin.

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