Functional Studies of Mutations Affecting a Novel DrosophilaMuscle Protein

我们研究的主要目标是了解肌肉的功能 在分子水平上。我们研究的系统是间接的 果蝇的肌肉。在众多 该系统为分子研究提供的优点是 事实上，这些肌肉是消耗的生存能力，因此， 适合遗传和分子遗传分析。期间 在我们的研究过程中，我们发现了一种新的肌肉蛋白 与任何已知蛋白质都不相似我们假设这 蛋白质参与调节肌肉收缩。我们的目标 这项提议的目的是鉴定和表征突变， 影响编码这种蛋白质的基因。然后我们将分析 突变蛋白质对细胞超微结构、生化 和肌肉的机械性能。这些研究将提供 关于这种蛋白质的生物学功能的有价值的信息， 在肌肉运动过程中， 收缩。

The main goal of our research is to understand how muscle functions at the molecular level. The system that we study is the indirect muscle of the fruit fly Drosophila melanogaster. AMong the many advantages that this system offers for molecular studies is the fact that these muscles are expendable for viability and therefore amenable for genetic and molecular-genetic analyses. During the course of our investigation, we identified a novel muscle protein that does not resemble any known protein. We hypothesize that this protein is involved in regulation of muscle contraction. Our goal for this proposal is to identify and characterize mutations that affect the gene encoding this protein. We will then analyze the effect of the mutant protein on the ultrastructural, biochemical and mechanical properties of the muscle. These studies will provide valuable information on the biological function of this protein and on the mechanisms regulating force generation during muscle contraction.