BIOCHEMISTRY

ESCRT-III regulation during multivesicular endosome biogenesis

In order to sense and respond to their external environments, eukaryotic cells have evolved elaborate membrane trafficking systems, which include protein receptors that are located on the plasma membrane. Once these receptors begin signaling, they are internalized into the cell and are organized and sorted at membrane-bound compartments called endosomes. This sorting process requires an ancient group of proteins called the Endosomal Sorting Complexes Required for Transport, or ESCRTs, which recognize certain receptors as cargoes and remodel membrane at the endosome to internalize the cargoes on vesicles and attenuate their signaling to the cytoplasm. Elisa Frankel of the Audhya Lab investigated the ESCRT proteins in this process for her Ph.D. and some of her findings challenge classic assumptions about endosomes and the importance of these proteins. 

To learn more about her work, attend her Thesis Review at 1 p.m. on Friday, June 22 in the Khorana Auditorium in the HFD Biochemistry Laboratories.