Grant: Operating Grant

Specialized lipid molecules in the plasma membrane called second messengers can relay signals to the cell's cytoskeleton. Diacylglycerol kinases (DGKs) are a family of enzymes that phosphorylate the lipid second messenger diacylglycerol to yield another second messenger called phosphatidic acid. By regulating the balance of these two important signaling lipids, DGKs occupy a central position in lipid signaling pathways. One DGK family member called DGKz is a component of several distinct signaling pathways that underpin different biological functions in several cell types; however, the full spectrum of its function remains to be identified. This application is focused on understanding the molecular mechanisms that underlie the regulation actin cytoskeleton reorganization by DGKz signaling complexes. The actin cytoskeleton is critically important in the tissue morphogenesis events required for the normal development of multicellular organisms. Using cells genetically deleted for DGKz and a combination of cell and molecular biological techniques, we hope to tease apart the signaling pathways that DGKz uses to regulate actin organization.