Decision-making modules in protein interaction networks. This project aims to discover how cells use proteins to make decisions. This is important for all living things, which must react to stimuli to grow, adapt, defend themselves and to die. The project’s anticipated outcome is the systems-level identification of decision-making modules in an intracellular network. Its focus is on the smallest possible modules, which contain a decision-making protein with two modifications that control protein ....Decision-making modules in protein interaction networks. This project aims to discover how cells use proteins to make decisions. This is important for all living things, which must react to stimuli to grow, adapt, defend themselves and to die. The project’s anticipated outcome is the systems-level identification of decision-making modules in an intracellular network. Its focus is on the smallest possible modules, which contain a decision-making protein with two modifications that control protein-proteins interactions. It will investigate two recurrent decision-making modules. The expected benefits of the project include new means to decipher biological complexity, and targets to modulate biosystems by genome editing or with drugs.Read moreRead less
The role and regulation of protein methylation: a study using the recently developed methylation network of yeast. Tiny changes to proteins, such as methylation, can alter the way they interact with other proteins. This project will investigate the dynamics of protein methylation during the life of the yeast cell. The project results will be of long term relevance to situations where we may want to stop cells dividing, such as cancer or infectious disease.
The effect of methylation and phosphorylation on ribosome function. This project aims to discover how cells regulate ribosome function and selectivity, by modifying their ribosomal proteins. This affects protein synthesis, a process which is central to the growth of all living things. Expected outcomes include new knowledge on the regulation of protein synthesis, improved techniques for the study of this process and an enhanced capacity for international collaboration. New avenues for the artifi ....The effect of methylation and phosphorylation on ribosome function. This project aims to discover how cells regulate ribosome function and selectivity, by modifying their ribosomal proteins. This affects protein synthesis, a process which is central to the growth of all living things. Expected outcomes include new knowledge on the regulation of protein synthesis, improved techniques for the study of this process and an enhanced capacity for international collaboration. New avenues for the artificial regulation of the ribosome may also emerge, relevant to synthetic biology and the engineering of industrial yeasts. The project should provide significant new findings for the research community, generate research citations and contribute to a highly skilled workforce by the training of staff and students.Read moreRead less
How do protein quality control mechanisms maintain neuronal ageing? This project aims to interrogate how mechanisms of protein quality control act in the brain - an organ that is particularly vulnerable to a high load of misfolded protein - to maintain normal physiology during ageing. This project expects to make advances in cellular biochemistry and neuroscience, using an innovative proximity labelling approach to identify quality control regulators in neurons that specifically engage with misf ....How do protein quality control mechanisms maintain neuronal ageing? This project aims to interrogate how mechanisms of protein quality control act in the brain - an organ that is particularly vulnerable to a high load of misfolded protein - to maintain normal physiology during ageing. This project expects to make advances in cellular biochemistry and neuroscience, using an innovative proximity labelling approach to identify quality control regulators in neurons that specifically engage with misfolded proteins during ageing, within the nervous system of a living animal. Expected outcomes of this project will generate new knowledge of brain physiology and ageing relevant to all animals. This should provide significant benefits, such as a greater understanding of long-term brain functions including memory.Read moreRead less
Does phosphorylation regulate the methylation of proteins? . The interaction of proteins is a fundamental requirement of life. Tiny switches on proteins affect how they interact but little is known about how these are controlled. This project will study the complex interplay between two types of switches; one is expected to control the other. This will provide new insights into how the cell functions.
The tau interactome. This project aims to decipher tau-dependent mechanisms at the molecular level to understand its pivotal role in neuronal integrity and function. Tau is a predominantly axonal protein with microtubule stabilising properties and has been implicated in several neurodegenerative disorders, including Alzheimer’s disease. Knowledge of its other physiological roles in the brain is limited, although it seems to be involved in signalling processes. The expected outcome of this study ....The tau interactome. This project aims to decipher tau-dependent mechanisms at the molecular level to understand its pivotal role in neuronal integrity and function. Tau is a predominantly axonal protein with microtubule stabilising properties and has been implicated in several neurodegenerative disorders, including Alzheimer’s disease. Knowledge of its other physiological roles in the brain is limited, although it seems to be involved in signalling processes. The expected outcome of this study is a deeper understanding of brain function during development and aging, which may ultimately contribute to new preventive treatments and medical care strategies.Read moreRead less
Mechanisms of memory function involving site-specific tau phosphorylation. This project aims to understand the molecular principles that facilitate encoding, maintenance and retrieval of memories in the brain. To store memories in brain circuits, electrical and chemical signals are crucial. Brain cells can integrate signals into biochemical modifications of intracellular proteins. The nature of the protein modifications that represent memory within brain cells is unknown. This project uses innov ....Mechanisms of memory function involving site-specific tau phosphorylation. This project aims to understand the molecular principles that facilitate encoding, maintenance and retrieval of memories in the brain. To store memories in brain circuits, electrical and chemical signals are crucial. Brain cells can integrate signals into biochemical modifications of intracellular proteins. The nature of the protein modifications that represent memory within brain cells is unknown. This project uses innovative genome editing, mathematical modelling and proteomic approaches, to study how biochemical modifications of a key protein called tau help encode and retrieve memories. These molecular insights will make a significant advance in the current understanding of a brain function that is essential to all human activities.Read moreRead less
The role of N-linked protein glycosylation in Campylobacter jejuni. It is estimated that 300,000 Campylobacter jejuni (C. jejuni) infections occur in Australia annually, causing a vast economic loss. This project will assist in the understanding of the role of glycosylation and will significantly aid in determining how C. jejuni colonises humans and poultry and lead to the discovery of interventions to reduce the organism in poultry for human consumption.
The Regulatory Network of Histone Methylating and Demethylating Enzymes. This project aims to discover how cells regulate histone methylation enzymes. This process ultimately affects which genes can be turned on or off inside cells; something which is central to growth and development in all animals, all plants and some microbes. Expected outcomes include new knowledge on the regulation of histone methylation, improved techniques for the study of this process and enhanced capacity for internatio ....The Regulatory Network of Histone Methylating and Demethylating Enzymes. This project aims to discover how cells regulate histone methylation enzymes. This process ultimately affects which genes can be turned on or off inside cells; something which is central to growth and development in all animals, all plants and some microbes. Expected outcomes include new knowledge on the regulation of histone methylation, improved techniques for the study of this process and enhanced capacity for international collaboration. New avenues for the artificial regulation of genes may also emerge for synthetic epigenetics. The project should provide significant new findings for the research community, generate research citations and contribute to a highly skilled workforce by the training of staff and students.
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Sugars in the real world: are cultured cancer cells a good model system for studying protein glycosylation? It is challenging to study errors in metabolism in human beings, so researchers use cells grown in the laboratory to understand disease processes. This project will determine if cultured cells accurately reflect the real changes to cell surface sugars that occur in all cancers, and the effect of these changes on the invasive properties of colon cancer cells.