Gitte Nørregaard Schytte: Phosphorylation of extracellular proteins regulates their functionality
PhD defence, Tuesday 2 April 2019, Gitte Nørregaard Schytte.
During her research project Gitte Nørregaard Schytte has investigated how phosphorylation of extracellular proteins influences on their functionality in the human body. Phosphorylation is the addition of negatively charged phosphategroups to proteins and this common modification can alter the three-dimensional structure of proteins and hereby also their functionality. This regulation of protein activity is well-studied in relation to intracellular proteins, whereas it is less examined in relation to extracellular proteins.
Gitte Nørregaard Schytte has investigated how the recently discovered important FAM20C kinase phosphorylates the three extracellular SIBLING proteins osteopontin, bone sialoprotein and matrix extracellular phosphoglycoprotein. Furthermore, it is studied how these phosphorylations affect the cell adhesion ability of the three proteins as this mechanism is relevant in their functionalities within bone formation, immunology and cancer development. Additionally, it is found that expression of FAM20C and phosphorylation of osteopontin are significantly reduced as a consequence of a cancer promoting alteration in the ras gene.
The obtained research results establish the role of the FAM20C kinase in the phosphorylation of the SIBLING proteins and increase the understanding of how the functionality of extracellular proteins is regulated through phosphorylation.
The PhD degree was completed at the Section for Molecular Nutrition, Department of Molecular Biology and Genetics, Science and Technology, Aarhus University
This résumé was prepared by the PhD student.
Time: Tuesday 2 April 2019 at 9.30.
Place: Building 1531, room 215, Lecture Theatre D3, Department of Mathematics, Aarhus University, Ny Munkegade 118, 8000 Aarhus C.
Title of PhD thesis: FAM20C mediated phosphorylation of the SIBLING proteins
Contact information: Gitte Nørregaard Schytte, gns@mbg.au.dk, tlf. 23 95 62 55
Members of the assessment committee:
Professor Göran Andersson, Department of Laboratory Medicine, Karolinska Instituttet, Stockholm, Sweden
Associate Professor Peter Kristensen, Department of Chemistry and Bioscience – Section for Biotechnology, Aalborg University
Professor Finn Skou Pedersen, Department of Molecular Biology and Genetics, Aarhus University (chair)
Main supervisor:
Professor Esben Skipper Sørensen, iNANO and Department of Molecular Biology and Genetics, Aarhus University
Co-supervisor:
Senior Scientist Brian Christensen, Department of Molecular Biology and Genetics, Aarhus University
Language: The PhD dissertation will be defended in English
The defence is public.
The PhD thesis is available for reading at the Graduate School of Science and Technology/GSST, Ny Munkegade 120, building 1520 and 1521, 8000 Aarhus C.