[2017 Spring Life Sciences & IBB Seminar]

▶Subject: Protein S-acylation – a novel mechanism regulating membrane protein function

▶Speaker: Prof. Piers Hemsley (Division of Plant Sciences, School of Life Sciences, University of Dundee)

▶Date: 4:30PM/April 7(Fri.)/2017

▶Place: Auditorium(1F), Postech Biotech Center

▶Abctract
Post-translational modifications are an essential regulator of protein function within the cell. Modifications such as phosphorylation and ubiquitination are well understood but our knowledge and understanding of S-acylation, also known as palmitoylation, is 20-30 years behind them. S-acylation is the post-translational addition of long chain fatty acids to cysteine residues within proteins. S-acylation was originally described as promoting interaction of otherwise soluble proteins with membranes but has since also been found to affect many integral membrane proteins indicating a role beyond simple membrane anchoring. S-acylation is now known to determine which membrane compartment a protein resides in as well as regulate microdomain localisation, protein-protein interactions, protein conformation, protein stability and protein activation state. Our recent work in plants has identified many more proteins as being S-acylated than previously thought including receptor-like kinases, cell wall synthesis enzymes, ABC transporters, diverse kinases, numerous transmembrane transporters and many membrane organising proteins. This work identified a new mode of regulating the function and/or localisation of many integral and membrane associated plant proteins and processes. Despite this increase in knowledge our understanding of the specific role S-acylation plays in regulating protein function is still poor. I will discuss our latest work on how S-acylation regulates receptor-like kinase signalling, the role of S-acylation in cell wall synthesis and the progress we have made in identifying the enzymes responsible for adding and removing S-acyl groups.

▶Inquiry: Prof. Youngsook Lee (279-2296)

* This seminar will be given in English.
Please refrain from taking photos during seminars. *