Molecular and Functional Characterisation of Sea Urchin ADP-ribosyl Cyclases

身体的所有细胞都通过膜与周围环境物理隔离。为了使细胞对血液中通常不能穿过膜的因子（如激素）做出反应，使用特殊的“信使”分子，这些分子在刺激物与细胞接触时在细胞内产生。其中两种信使称为cADPR和NAADP，由单一家族的酶/ADP-核糖基环化酶产生。一旦产生，cADPR和NAADP引起细胞内钙浓度的大幅增加，这反过来对许多过程（包括例如神经功能）是重要的。了解这些酶如何工作，对于了解细胞如何工作很重要。在这项研究中，我们将确定的ADP-核糖基环化酶的基因的DNA序列在海胆一个良好的研究实验系统。拥有这些信息将使我们能够生产大量的每种蛋白质，以研究它们的特性并确定它们在鸡蛋中的位置。然后，我们将研究当卵子被精子激活时这些酶如何变化，并确定阻断这些酶对胚胎发育的影响。这项研究将为这些至关重要的蛋白质提供新的信息。

All cells of the body are physically separated from their surrounding environment by a membrane. In order for cells to respond to factors in the blood (such as hormones) which normally can not pass through the membrane, special 'messenger' molecules are used that are generated inside the cell upon contact of the stimulus with the cell. Two of these messengers called cADPR and NAADP are produced by a single family of enzymes / the ADP-ribosyl cyclases. Once made, cADPR and NAADP cause large increases in the concentration of calcium within the cell which in turn are important for many processes including for example the nerve function. Understanding how these enzymes work then is important to understand how cells work. In this study we will determine the DNA sequences of the genes for ADP-ribosyl cyclases in the sea urchin a well-studied experimental system. Having this information will allow us to produce large quantities of each protein to study their properties and determine their location within eggs. We will then study how these enzymes change when eggs are activated by sperm and determine what impact blocking these enzymes has on how the embryo develops. This study should provide new information on these critically important proteins.