Eisosome structure and assembly

• Applicant: Professor Tobias Walther, Ph.D.
• Subject Area: Biochemistry
• Term: from 2007 to 2011
• Project identifier: Deutsche Forschungsgemeinschaft (DFG) - Project number 51012496

The plasma membrane is the cell delimiting membrane and is therefore a fundamental feature of life. It is a highly dynamic structure constantly being remodeled by endocytosis and exocytosis that mediate the uptake and delivery of proteins and lipids. Eisosomes are only recently recognized structures that organize the plasma membrane and mark sites of endocytosis in the yeast Saccharomyces cerevisiae. They are composed of two major, highly homologous subunits that are present in several thousand copies per eisosome. One of these subunits, Pil1, can assemble into large structures in vitro. Starting from these observations, we will to determine 1) the molecular interactions between eisosome components 2) the rules of eisosome assembly, with particular emphasis on the function of Pil1 3) the structure of eisosomes and their subunits. Studying eisosome assembly and structure will provide us with important information about this large cellular complexes and a paradigm for cellular selfassembly processes in general. Self-assembly is the autonomous organization of a structure from its components without an extrinsic organizer and is used throughout nature on many different scales. For most cellular structures assembled this way, the rules governing this process are not well understood. Understanding eisosome biogenesis will help to define these rules and be a major contribution to the characterization of plasma membrane and endocytosis spatial organization.

• DFG Programme: Research Grants