Offerte TESI PER I CORSI DI LAUREA MAGISTRALE

The apoptosis-inducing factor (AIF) is a mitochondrial flavoprotein that in conjunctiona with its partner CHCHD4 is involved in the import and redox f ...

The apoptosis-inducing factor (AIF) is a mitochondrial flavoprotein that in conjunctiona with its partner CHCHD4 is involved in the import and redox folding of subunits of the respiratory complex. Mutation of the gene encoding AIF are known to cause neurodegenerative diseases, often severe. Key aspects of AIF function at the molecular level are its ability to undergo an allosteric transition upon reduction of its prostheic group FAD and NAD+ binding, and to interact with the N-terminal region of its protein partner CHCHD4. The student(s), within the present project, will investigate, using complementary structural and functional biochemical approaches, the details of the protein-protein interaction between the two partners with a particular focus on the allosteric interactions between the active site and the binding sites for protein partners. The set of techniques includes recombinant protein expression and purification, site-directed mutagenesis, absoprtion and fluorescence spectrophotometry, electrophoresis, chromatography,steady-state enzyme assays and rapid kinetcs, microscale thermophoresis, electrophoresis, structural biology and molecular dynamics.