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Access Type
WSU Access
Date of Award
January 2011
Degree Type
Thesis
Degree Name
M.S.
Department
Biomedical Engineering
First Advisor
Dr. Timothy L. Stemmler
Second Advisor
Dr. Wei-ping Ren
Abstract
ABSTRACT
MOLECULAR DETAILS OF THE PROTEINS INVOLVED MITOCHONDRIAL IRON-SULFUR CLUSTER ASSEMBLY
by
YOGAPRIYA MURUGESAN
Oct 2011
Advisor: Prof. Timothy L. Stemmler
Major: Biomedical Engineering
Degree: Masters in Science
The neurodegenerative disease Friedrich's ataxia is caused by an inability to produce a functional mitochondrial protein `frataxin' which plays a major role in Fe-S cluster assembly. Physiopathological consequences due to frataxin deficiency causes disruption in the Fe-S cluster synthesis and mitochondrial iron overload leading to cell death resulting from the formation of reactive oxygen species. Iron-sulfur cofactors are vital to life and perform various essential functions throughout the cell ranging from electron transfer, enzyme catalysis and regulation of gene expression. Synthesis of Fe-S clusters is a multistep process that takes place predominately inside the mitochondrial by machinery that is directed by the scaffold protein Isu on which clusters are assembled. Iron present inside the mitochondrial membrane is believed to be delivered to the scaffold protein by means of frataxin during Fe-S cluster formation, whereas sulfide is provided to the assembly by means of cysteine desulfurase Nfs1. Alternatively, frataxin is also believed to act as a regulator for cysteine desulfurase activity. The transiently formed clusters are further transferred to the apoproteins by other set of proteins. Any defects in this pathway (from cluster formation to transfer) leads to several diseases such as Friedreich's ataxia, ISCU Myopathy, and Sideroblastic Anemia. Since current treatment strategies have suffered due to the lack of specific knowledge regarding the role of frataxin with its assembly protein partners, functional characterization of the protein at the molecular level would be essential in developing new strategies to treat this disorder. The focus of this project is to determine the molecular details of how the assembly proteins (frataxin, scaffold protein Isu, cysteine desulfurase Nfs1 interact with each other in vitro using orthologs of yeast and Drosophila in the presence and absence of the metal iron using various biophysical techniques.
Recommended Citation
Murugesan, Yogapriya, "Molecular details of the proteins involved in mitochondrial fe-s cluster assembly" (2011). Wayne State University Theses. 148.
https://digitalcommons.wayne.edu/oa_theses/148