The control of protein synthesis in health and disease

Ziel

Protein synthesis is a key process in living cells, being required for cells to grow, divide, and respond to changing conditions, as well as being critical in gene expression. However, protein synthesis in an expensive process, using a great of energy and amino acids. It is therefore tightly controlled. This involves the regulation, by phosphorylation, of proteins involved in protein synthesis (‘translation factors’) and mRNA-binding proteins. My laboratory studies the roles of these proteins and the protein kinases that act upon them in regulating protein synthesis in mammalian cells. I am particularly interested in the mTOR (mammalian target of rapamycin) pathway, which is regulated by amino acids and hormones and controls several steps in protein synthesis. A major goal of this project is to achieve a more complete understanding of mTOR signalling and to establish how different signalling pathways and translation factors work together to control protein synthesis. This research will extend our knowledge of a key biological process also help optimize production of biological drugs’, a major interest in the pharmaceutical industry. My laboratory also has a strong interest in the mechanisms by which defects in the translational machinery or in its control lead to human diseases. For example, dysregulation of mTOR signalling leads to cancer and heart disease. We will explore the molecular mechanisms involved in this. Defects in a key translation factor (‘eIF2B’) cause a severe neurodegenerative disease (‘vanishing white matter’). We will employ multiple complementary approaches to understand how problems in protein synthesis lead to these diseases. This will provide valuable information for treating or managing them. Lastly, faulty control of the synthesis of proteins called cytokines leads to inflammatory disease. I will explore the mechanisms that normally control cytokine synthesis, which may lead to new opportunities for treating inflammatory diseases.

Wissenschaftliches Gebiet

Schlüsselbegriffe

Koordinator

UNIVERSITY OF SOUTHAMPTON

EU-Beitrag

€ 100 000,00

Adresse

Highfield
SO17 1BJ Southampton
Vereinigtes Königreich

Region

South East (England) Hampshire and Isle of Wight Southampton

Aktivitätstyp

Higher or Secondary Education Establishments

Kontakt Verwaltung

Simon Mason (Mr.)

Links

Die Organisation kontaktieren Website

Gesamtkosten

Keine Daten

Ziel

Wissenschaftliches Gebiet

Schlüsselbegriffe

Programm/Programme

Thema/Themen

Aufforderung zur Vorschlagseinreichung

Finanzierungsplan

Koordinator

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