NSF Award
9304746
9304746 Speicher This proposal seeks to describe the mechanism by which alpha actinin forms homodimers. The approach is primarily biochemical, involving chemical cross-linking and site directed mutagenesis. %%% Alpha actinin is involved in the organization and function of muscle and is also involved in cell-to-cell and cell-to-substratum adhesion. Electron microscopic studies have resulted in low resolution models for alpha actinin structure, which involve alpha actinin dimers. The protein chemical studies proposed will establish at an atomic level whether the current model is correct and will further refine our understanding of the function of this important representative of a class of organizational biomolecules. ***
