Grant: Doctoral Research Award: Canada Graduate Scholarships

Lipids not only serve as the building blocks that form the biological barriers protecting cells but also play pivotal roles in intracellular communication or signaling. Distinct types of lipids relay information from one molecular machine to another to coordinate biological processes such as growth, differentiation, and development. The production of signaling lipids is tightly controlled to ensure they are produced at the right time and location. My proposed research focuses on the PI4KA (Phosphatidylinositol 4-kinase alpha) protein complex, a key regulator of membrane composition and lipid signaling. Dysregulation of this complex is found in neurodegenerative diseases, hypomyelination, gut abnormalities, congenital cataracts, and cancer. Although it is a promising therapeutic target, both the upregulation and downregulation of PIKA activity are observed in different diseases, therefore it is essential that we understand how the PI4KA complex is regulated to better treat these ailments. Building on our recent discovery that a protein called calcineurin binds PI4KA at the cellular membrane, and other studies that show that a protein called EFR3 recruits PI4KA to the cellular membrane, my proposed project seeks to elucidate the molecular details underlying these interactions and how calcineurin and EFR3 modulate PI4KA activity and therefore cell health. The results of this work will build the necessary framework for the design of more effective therapeutics for PI4KA complex-driven diseases.