Section: Rotations

Peter Pryciak, Ph.D.

Academic Role: Associate Professor

Faculty Appointment(s) In:
   Molecular Genetics and Microbiology

Other Affiliation(s):
   Cell Dynamics Group
   Interdisciplinary Graduate Program

Rotation Projects

Project #1: Signaling in the MAP kinase cascade.  Membrane recruitment of the kinase cascade "scaffold" protein, Ste5, initiates signaling.  But our recent work suggests that membrane localization also boosts signaling efficiency through the kinase cascade, and similar findings have been reported in a mammalian pathway.  Yet the mechanism explaining this effect is unknown.  This project would use molecular genetic approaches to probe this phenomenon.

Project #2: Membrane targeting domains.  Our recent work identified a small membrane-binding domain that guides Ste5 to the plasma membrane, but it does so only acting in conjunction with protein-protein interactions.  Relatedly, we have recently found similar domains, and their cooperative relationship with protein-protein interactions, in several other plasma membrane-localized signaling proteins.  We suspect this may be a very common arrangement, and that multiple weak interactions are advantageous to ensuring dynamic localization that constantly probes the availability of membrane-localized binding partners.  This project would involve conducting a small-scale survey of polarized proteins in yeast, searching for small membrane-binding domains that are critical for their normal localization and function.

Office: Bio IV Rm# 330
Phone: 508-856-8756
E-mail: Peter.Pryciak@umassmed.edu
Keywords: Signal Transduction, Cell Dynamics, Yeast, Cell Biology, Genetics

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