NSF Award
0209686
An enhanced understanding of protein-protein interactions is important to the successful elucidation of multiprotein pathways, which mediate such vital processes as the response of cells to their environment, metabolic regulation, and development. Alpha-helical scaffolding domains form extended surfaces for protein interactions by stacking together multiple small repeat units. In this project, computer-assisted bioinformatic techniques will be used to predict alpha helical scaffold domains encoded by the fully sequenced genome of the model plant Arabidopsis thaliana. Lines of mutant plants will then be obtained where these genes have been knocked out, and the effects of this change upon the function of the plants will be assessed by testing their growth, gene expression, and biochemical activity. Proteins, which interact with these candidate scaffold domains, will be detected by their ability to bind to them in a yeast or bacterial protein interaction assay system. The identified interaction proteins will then be analyzed by a similar series of computational and plant functional tests. The goal of the 2010 Project is to discover the function of every encoded protein of Arabidopsis by that target date. This project will provide the plant research community with an inventory of Arabidopsis scaffolding proteins, their protein interaction partners, functional hypotheses, and a set of characterized mutant seed stocks. This project will be executed primarily by undergraduate students, who will receive hands on training in cutting edge research techniques. More information can be obtained at the project web site: http://www.ptloma.edu/Biology/Grants/NSF 2010 Project.htm , where data will be posted as the project progresses.
