This subproject is one of many research subprojects utilizing the resources provided by a Center grant funded by NIH/NCRR. The subproject and investigator (PI) may have received primary funding from another NIH source, and thus could be represented in other CRISP entries. The institution listed is for the Center, which is not necessarily the institution for the investigator. The MEK kinase Ssk2p, a homolog of the human MEK kinase MTK1/MEKK4 has unique properties for this class of kinases in being able to regulate the actin cytoskeleton in response to osmotic stress. Our work is focused in yeast, with the yeast kinase Ssk2p, but we have previously shown that the human kinase has these unique capabilities. We know from genetic experiments that this kinase is regulated independently of its normal MAPK pathway, that it binds actin directly and among all yeast MEK kinases has this unique capacity to regulate actin assembly. This collaboration was initiated to try and identify Ssk2p-associated proteins that could be responsible for pathway independent kinase regulation and that could be the cytoskeletal effector(s) of the kinase. The approach is to TAP-tag Ssk2p, precipitate complexes from yeast and use mass-spec to identify these associated proteins.
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