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Projektbeskrivning

α‑actinins are ubiquitous actin-binding proteins present in most eukaryotes. Due to their ability to bind and cross-link actin filaments in a calcium dependent manner, α‑actinins are important regulators of the intracellular infrastructure.
Although considerably knowledge is available about vertebrate α‑actinins, very little is known about the atypical “short” α‑actinins found in protozoa and fungi. Therefore we have cloned and are in the progress of isolating and characterising α‑actinins of Entamoeba and Schizosaccharomyces pombe in order to determine their actin-binding and cross-linking activities as well as calcium-binding properties and structure.
The Entamoeba α‑actinins are of particular interest, as these have been implicated in the adherence and invasion of the human host. Further characterisation of α‑actinins of this parasite will therefore expand the knowledge base and improve the understanding of the mechanism and strategy Entamoeba utilizes for infection. This is important as Entamoeba induced amoebiasis is a major killer in the poorer parts of the world. Since it is likely that other intracellular parasites, such as Trypanosoma, Giardia and Trichomonas, have developed similar mechanisms for infection, such knowledge will be valuable also in these cases.