Identification
and characterization of regulators of the intermediate filament
cytoskeleton using the model organism Caenorhabditis elegans
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Intermediate
filaments are major components of the cytoskeleton acting as mechanical
stabilizers and as modulators of cellular differentiation and
proliferation. The molecular mechanisms, which regulate intermediate
filament dynamics and their 3D architecture in a true tissue context,
have not been elucidated. To do this, we use the model organism Caenorhabditis elegans.
With the help of transgenic strains we have performed a chemical
mutagenesis screen and isolated mutants with altered intermediate
filament organization. The goal of the current project is to
characterize these mutants and to isolate further mutants in order to
work out the molecular pathways that determine intermediate filament
network dynamics. We also want to find out how the specific
intermediate filament network architecture contributes to intestinal
cell polarity and function. The expected results will be of fundamental
importance for the understanding of the cytoplasmic intermediate
filament cytoskeleton and its alterations in the context of epithelial
differentiation and its manifold disturbances.
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Principal
investigators:
Prof. Dr. Rudolf Leube and
Prof. Dr. Olaf Bossinger Funding:
DFG
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