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Modulation of cell survival by prohibitin and IAP-IAP complexes

Subject Area Cell Biology
Term from 2007 to 2015
Project identifier Deutsche Forschungsgemeinschaft (DFG) - Project number 49127547
 
Final Report Year 2015

Final Report Abstract

The Emmy Noether tenure led to the elucidation of novel components of the key signaling machinery that drives fundamental cellular process like cell death, migration and differentiation. First, we have confirmed our observations that the plasma membrane associated fraction of prohibitin is directly involved in the activation of a key signaling molecule CRAF kinase in tumour cells. This study has proposed that targeting prohibitin- CRAF interface could possibly be a strategy to combat RAS-mediated tumourigenesis. Importantly, the natural anti-tumour drugs Rocaglamide target this interaction and thus opening up a novel avenue for tumour therapeutics. We have also made some important contributions to the fundamental understanding of a key signaling pathway, the RAS-RAF- MAPK pathway. We identified that RAF isoforms compete for their interaction with their downstream kinase target MEK1 and that the RAF dimer interface is also exploited for this key interaction. These results are important for developing rational therapeutics targeting the RAF-MAPK pathway. Apart from the RAF-MAPK, we have focused on the inhibitors of Apoptosis proteins (IAPs) which are shown to inhibit apoptosis by directly binding to caspases. We have unveiled the other side of these molecules and discovered that IAPs also regulate cell shape, migration and cellular differentiation. These studies have enhanced our current understanding of how IAPs work and thus enabled us to adroitly administer IAP-based cancer therapeutics. We have also identified how Ubiquitin signaling contributes to kinase inactivation and cell shape changes during migration which are also seen as a major conceptual advancements as revealed by the highlights and commentaries garnered in various places including in Nature reviews Molecular Cell Biology, EMBOJ, Faculty of 1000 and has also gained the attention of the general media.

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