PhD-thesis/Doktorarbeit at the
Max Planck Institute for Developmental Biology
and Friedrich Miescher Laboratory
Structural Study of How Cohesin Ring Is Loaded on the DNA
Project description: Cohesin is a protein complex comprised of Smc1, Smc3 and Scc1 proteins that assemble into a gigantic trimeric ring and function to hold sister chromatids together inside the ring. One of the mysteries of the ring function is the mechanism of how DNA gets inside it. According to the current model ATP hydrolysis by the Smc heads triggers a long-distance structural change at the other end of the protein, in the so called hinge domain, resulting in the opening of the gate for DNA. A cohesin loader complex comprised of Scc2 and Scc4 proteins is required for cohesin loading on DNA in vivo.
The proposed project involves characterization of the interactions between the cohesin loader and cohesin and between the parts of the cohesin complex with a goal of deciphering the DNA loading mechanism.
Techniques to be used: Molecular and cell biology, biochemistry (cloning, expression, purification), X-ray crystallography (using home source and synchrotron radiation), electron microscopy (home EM).
We are seeking a highly motivated biology/chemistry/physics student who has ideally acquired one of the above techniques during his/her diploma/master thesis.
The project is a collaboration between the groups of Drs Kornelius Zeth (protein structure) and Dmitri Ivanov (chromosomal biology).
For further information or applications please contact:
Dmitri Ivanov, Dr.
Friedrich Miescher Laboratory
Spemannstr. 39, 72076 Tübingen
Germany
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Kornelius Zeth, Dr.
MPI Developmental Biology
Spemannstr. 35, 72076 Tübingen
Germany
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