Study of primitive life form expected to provide clues to biological processes in higher...( s of protein phosphorylation is so basi...)

Specifically, Kennelly and his students will identify the proteins that are controlled by phosphorylation in Sulfolobus solfataricus, the protein kinases that are responsible for phosphorylating them, and the protein phosphatases that remove the phosphate groups. Ultimately, he hopes to not only identify all the pieces in the phosphorylation network, but to also dissect the functional relationships between them.

The end product will be a molecular map describing how such a network functions. This map can be used by other scientists as a guide to the solving the more complex systems that have developed in more biologically complicated organisms.

Eventually, Kennelly hopes to use simple models to understand the origins of this regulatory mechanism. He also hopes to identify the processes first targeted for regulation in this manner, and learn how other organisms built upon this foundation to create complex information processing networks.

The project will utilize a variety of approaches, including genomics, enzymology, molecular biology and mass spectroscopy.

"The variety of organisms found in nature provides us with a library of information and tools for answering important questions about how the chemistry of life works," Kennelly said. "The basic principles are universal, so work on primitive organisms can help lead us to an understanding of the rules governing the processes that take place in plants, animals and ourselves."

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Contact: Peter Kennelly
pjkennel@vt.edu
540-231-4317
Virginia Tech
11-Nov-2003