Grant: Operating Grant

The vast majority of physiological events that take place in living organisms occur through the actions of proteins. Every protein produced in our body results from the process of translation, by which genetic material in the form of mRNA transcripts is converted to these protein mediators of cellular function. A large number of cellular factors influence translation, one of which is PABP, or Poly(A) binding protein. PABP is a key regulator of the production of proteins, as it binds mRNA transcripts and enables effective translation. Importantly, PABP has been found to also influence the degradation of mRNA, which ultimately influences the amount of protein each mRNA copy can yield. Thus, PABP is a complex and crucial component of proper cellular regulation. To advance our understanding of the fundamental molecular biology processes that enable normal cell function, we aim to determine how PABP functions by studying its structure as it binds to different factors. We also seek to understand how associating with different binding partners can alter the role PABP plays on protein production.