Structure and fuction of the mammalian mechanotransduction subunit SLP3 (B 18)

• Subject Area: Structural Biology
• Term: from 2008 to 2010
• Project identifier: Deutsche Forschungsgemeinschaft (DFG) - Project number 5483235

Mechanosensation is subserved by sensory neurons that convert a mechanical stimulus into an electrical signal. This proposal aims for a molecular understanding of the mechanotransducer subunit, SLP3. SLP3 is an oligomerising, integral membrane protein of 31 kD with a central PHB domain which is also present in a wide range of eukaryotic and prokaryotic proteins. Here, we will combine structural, biochemical and electrophysiological analysis to understand the involvement of SLP3 in mechanotransduction and the general role of the PHB domain in membrane binding.

• DFG Programme: Collaborative Research Centres
• Subproject of: SFB 449: Structure and Function of Membrane Integral Receptors
• Applicant Institution: Freie Universität Berlin
• Co-Applicant Institution: Charité - Universitätsmedizin Berlin; Max-Delbrück-Centrum für Molekulare Medizin (MDC)
• Project Heads: Professor Dr. Oliver Daumke; Professor Dr. Gary Richard Lewin, Ph.D.