Plasma Membrane Structure ©Hotpot (Grones Group)
Unraveling of Plasma Membrane Structure
In my group we are interested in organization of plasma membrane (PM) in response to various environmental stimuli. Our main goal is to characterize the changes in PM’s proteome, its spatial organization within the nanodomains and identification of specific molecular players involved in these processes. We want to answer these questions by combining biochemistry, high-end confocal microscopy, cell biology and plant genetics.
Below you can find some topics.
Characterization of changes in plasma membrane proteome
Plant plasma membrane undergoes constant recycling of its components, by degrading the old proteins and delivering the fresh one. However, our knowledge of how the PM signaling proteins respond to different environmental stimuli is very limited. Moreover, not all PM proteins need to be degraded after the stress stimuli, as their function can be altered by post-translational modifications (PTM) (e.g. phosphorylation). There are several open questions in this topic: Which proteins are changing their localization during cellular response to external cues? How is the selection regulated? What is the role of PTMs in this process?
Interested? Contact:
Spatial organization of plasma membrane proteins
The role of ordered membrane domains in regulating the trafficking and function of plant membrane proteins still remains elusive. Several transmembrane proteins were found to cluster in the detergent resistant lipid nanodomains within PM, thus altering the membrane properties and modulating plant response towards environmental stimuli. There are several open questions in this topic: How are PM localized receptors spatially organized? Are environmental stimuli altering the spatial organization of PM?