Characterization of the S. Pombe cAMP Pathway

描述：（改编自研究者摘要）：单向细胞反应 是通过产生调节基因的内部信号 表情人类和酵母细胞采用同源信号通路， 控制细胞生长、应激反应、代谢途径和分化。 因此，相对简单和基因柔韧的萌芽和裂变 酵母是有价值的模式生物，为机制提供重要见解 哺乳动物细胞中的信号转导。我的实验室研究 葡萄糖/cAMP信号通路是转录调控的核心 fbpl基因的基因。环境中的葡萄糖会触发激活 腺苷酸环化酶，产生的cAMP信号激活蛋白激酶A 抑制fbpI转录。我们拥有的许多基因， 在这一途径中鉴定的裂殖酵母编码的蛋白质， 同源物在cAMP信号传导中执行类似的功能。因此这个模型 系统有潜力既促进我们的结构理解， 保守的信号机制，并导致新的发现。此外，本发明还提供了一种方法， 裂殖酵母腺苷酸环化酶催化结构域 类似于包括人类病原体在内的几种病原体 布氏锥虫和白色念珠菌。虽然cAMP途径似乎是 对于这些生物体的生长和分化， 关于腺苷酸环化酶的调节。因此，我们的研究 可能提示抑制肿瘤生长或侵袭的潜在靶点， 这些病原体。我们建议继续研究腺苷酸环化酶 通过进行遗传、分子和生物化学研究， 裂殖酵母葡萄糖/cAMP途径。

DESCRIPTION: (Adapted from the Investigator's abstract): One way cells respond to their environment is by creating internal signals that regulate gene expression. Human and yeast cells employ homologous signaling pathways to control cell growth, stress response, metabolic pathways and differentiation. Therefore, the relatively simple and genetically pliable budding and fission yeasts are valuable model organisms providing important insights to mechanisms of signal transduction in mammalian cells. My laboratory studies the glucose/cAMP signal pathway that is central to the transcriptional regulation of the fission yeast fbpl gene. Environmental glucose triggers the activation of adenylate cyclase, and the resulting cAMP signal activates protein kinase A to repress fbpI transcription. Many, but not all, of the genes we have identified in this pathway in fission yeast encode proteins whose human homologues carry out similar functions in cAMP signaling. Therefore this model system has the potential both to advance our structural understanding of conserved signaling mechanisms and to lead to novel discoveries. In addition, the catalytic domain of fission yeast adenylate cyclase enzyme closely resembles those of several pathogenic organisms including the human pathogens Trypanosoma brucei and Candida albicans. While the cAMP pathway appears to be important to growth and differentiation of these organisms, nothing is known about the regulation of their adenylate cyclase enzymes. Therefore, our studies may suggest potential targets for inhibiting the growth or invasiveness of these pathogens. We propose to continue our work on adenylate cyclase activation by conducting genetic, molecular and biochemical studies of the fission yeast glucose/cAMP pathway.