Septin of Chlamydomonas reinhardtii: studies focused on its function and expression

• Grant number: 14/02618-4
• Support Opportunities: Scholarships abroad - Research Internship - Doctorate (Direct)
• Start date: June 01, 2014
• End date: November 06, 2014
• Field of knowledge: Biological Sciences - Biophysics - Molecular Biophysics
• Principal Investigator: Ana Paula Ulian de Araujo
• Grantee: Heloisa Ciol
• Supervisor: Alison G. Smith
• Host Institution: Instituto de Física de São Carlos (IFSC). Universidade de São Paulo (USP). São Carlos , SP, Brazil
• Institution abroad: University of Cambridge, England
• Associated to the scholarship: 12/21259-0 - Septin of Chlamydomonas reinhardtii: studies focusing its expression and function, BP.DD

Abstract

Septins are proteins that bind guanine nucleotides and form filaments, which can assemble in high order structures. They were originally discovered in yeast as being required for the accomplishment of the cell cycle, but their action mode and precise functions in other organisms remain unclear. Septins are found in most eukaryotes, and differently from fungi, protozoa and animals, Chlamydomonas exhibits a single gene for septin. The formation of hetero-filaments by septins and their associated functions, are relatively well established, but information concerning the existence and physiological role of homo-filaments is uncertain. Understanding the role Chlamydomonas septin plays and, mainly, if this septin alone can form functional homo-filaments, are worth investigating. In this context, we believe in vivo assays, specially gene knockdown analysis, will be essential to clarify the history of septin filaments. This work is part of a research project that also includes structural characterization of the CrSept protein, in order to elucidate the main function of this protein in the green algae C. reinhardtii. (AU)