Research Description

Genomes of higher mammals encode an estimated 40,000 proteins, however the complexity of the functions performed by these proteins in vivo is at least an order of magnitude higher. This complexity is achieved in a large part by posttranslational modifications that modulate structure and functions of proteins after synthesis, thus increasing the variety of forms in which the proteins encoded by the same gene can exist in vivo. Evidence suggests that posttranslational modifications constitute a major mechanism for regulation of normal metabolism and disease in higher vertebrates. Discovery and understanding of new posttranslational modifications and uncovering the biological role of the poorly understood modifications constitutes a major emerging field.

The goal of our research is to investigate the physiological role of a previously uncharacterized posttranslational modification, protein arginylation. Knockout of the enzyme responsible for arginylation, ATE1, results embryonic lethality in mice and multiple defects related to heart development and blood vessel remodeling (angiogenesis). Our recent work showed that arginylation regulates many proteins involved in cytoskeleton, cell motility, signaling, and metabolism, and uncovered some mechanisms of this regulation..

Our current studies are focused on three major directions: (1) identification of the ATE1 protein targets and studying the effect of arginylation on their properties and functions; (2) studies of the structure and molecular properties of the mouse ATE1 enzymes; and (3) discovering the mechanisms and pathways that lead to the global physiological effects of protein arginylation.