Structural and functional studies of the Golgi Re-Assembly and Stacking Protein (GRASP) from Cryptococcus neoformans

• Grant number: 12/13309-7
• Support Opportunities: Scholarships in Brazil - Doctorate (Direct)
• Start date: September 01, 2012
• End date: February 17, 2018
• Field of knowledge: Biological Sciences - Biophysics - Molecular Biophysics
• Principal Investigator: Antonio José da Costa Filho
• Grantee: Luis Felipe Santos Mendes
• Host Institution: Faculdade de Filosofia, Ciências e Letras de Ribeirão Preto (FFCLRP). Universidade de São Paulo (USP). Ribeirão Preto , SP, Brazil
• Associated scholarship(s): 16/09676-5 - Nuclear magnetic resonance studies of the Golgi reassembly and stacking protein from Cryptococcus neoformans, BE.EP.DD

Abstract

The secretion of virulence factors is a critical mechanism for the establishment of criptococose, a disease that along with candidiasis represent opportunistic fungi infection in HIV patients. Criptococose is a disease caused by Cryptococcus neoformans, which appears to be the only pathogen species from the Cryptococcus genus. The virulence of this pathogen seems to be related to the external capsule formed by a variety of intracellular biomolecules that appear to reach the extracellular space by unconventional methods of secretion. Despite the lack of detailed information about these methods, it is known that they depend on a protein called Golgi Re-Assembly and Stacking Protein (GRASP). GRASPs have been implicated in a variety of functions, including unconventional mechanisms of secretion and assembling/organization of the Golgi apparatus. However, its exact role in each cases can still benefit from structural and functional results at a molecular level. This proposal is included in this context aiming at generating results that will enable a structural/function correlation in GRASP from C. neoformans (CnGRASP). For this purpose we will use a variety of experimental techniques in molecular biophysics ranging from GRASP structural determination by X-ray diffraction (until now only the GRASP domain from the human orthologue GRAPS55 was obtained) and studies covering GRASP interactions with natural ligands, such as GXM, and biological membrane models using spectroscopic techniques, such as Electron Magnetic Resonance (EMR). (AU)

Scientific publications

(5)

(References retrieved automatically from Web of Science and SciELO through information on FAPESP grants and their corresponding numbers as mentioned in the publications by the authors)

ALVAREZ, NATALIA; MENDES, LUIS F. S.; GABRIELA KRAMER, M.; TORRE, MARIA H.; COSTA-FILHO, ANTONIO J.; ELLENA, JAVIER; FACCHIN, GIANELLA. Development of copper(II)-diimine-iminodiacetate mixed ligand complexes as potential antitumor agents. Inorganica Chimica Acta, v. 483, p. 61-70, NOV 1 2018. (12/13309-7, 17/24669-8)

MENDES, LUIS F. S.; GARCIA, ASSUERO F.; KUMAGAI, PATRICIA S.; DE MORAIS, FABIO R.; MELO, FERNANDO A.; KMETZSCH, LIVIA; VAINSTEIN, MARILENE H.; RODRIGUES, MARCIO L.; COSTA-FILHO, ANTONIO J.. New structural insights into Golgi Reassembly and Stacking Protein (GRASP) in solution. SCIENTIFIC REPORTS, v. 6, JUL 20 2016. (12/13309-7, 12/20367-3)

MENDES, LUIS F. S.; BASSO, LUIS G. M.; KUMAGAI, PATRICIA S.; FONSECA-MALDONADO, RAQUEL; COSTA-FILHO, ANTONIO J.. Disorder-to-order transitions in the molten globule-like Golgi Reassembly and Stacking Protein. BIOCHIMICA ET BIOPHYSICA ACTA-GENERAL SUBJECTS, v. 1862, n. 4, p. 855-865, APR 2018. (12/20367-3, 12/13309-7, 15/50366-7, 11/21767-2, 14/00206-0, 15/18390-5)

FONTANA, N. A.; FONSECA-MALDONADO, R.; MENDES, L. F. S.; MELEIRO, L. P.; COSTA-FILHO, A. J.. The yeast GRASP Grh1 displays a high polypeptide backbone mobility along with an amyloidogenic behavior. SCIENTIFIC REPORTS, v. 8, OCT 24 2018. (15/18390-5, 16/09676-5, 15/50366-7, 12/13309-7, 12/20367-3, 16/23863-2)

MICHELETTO, MARIANA C.; MENDES, LUIS F. S.; BASSO, LUIS G. M.; FONSECA-MALDONADO, RAQUEL G.; COSTA-FILHO, ANTONIO J.. Lipid membranes and acyl-CoA esters promote opposing effects on acyl-CoA binding protein structure and stability. International Journal of Biological Macromolecules, v. 102, p. 284-293, SEP 2017. (12/13309-7, 15/50366-7, 14/00206-0, 15/18390-5)

Academic Publications

(References retrieved automatically from State of São Paulo Research Institutions)

MENDES, Luis Felipe Santos. Structural and dynamic characterization of the Golgi Reassembly and Stacking Protein (GRASP) in solution. 2018. Doctoral Thesis - Universidade de São Paulo (USP). Faculdade de Filosofia, Ciências e Letras de Ribeirão Preto (PCARP/BC) Ribeirão Preto.