Speaker: Brodrick Sevart

Title: Exploring a Missing Mechanism that Links Redox Signaling to the Actin Cytoskeleton

Abstract: Crosstalk between the reactive oxygen species (ROS) and the actin cytoskeleton plays a key role in many activities, including immune response, neuron morphogenesis, angiogenesis, and cancer metastasis. How ROS signaling is coordinated with actin remodeling, however, is often poorly understood. It was previously suggested a major generator of ROS molecules named NOX and a central regulator of the actin cytoskeleton named WAVE might interact with each other, which could provide a key linkage between ROS and actin in the cell. To explore this mechanism, we hypothesize that a protein named p47phox may serve as an adaptor molecule to bridge NOX and WAVE together. Our preliminary data suggest that, opposite to our initial hypothesis, the activated p47phox can bind either NOX or WAVE, but not both at the same time. Further dissecting this interaction mechanism will promote our understanding of how the cell coordinates ROS signaling with actin dynamics. This knowledge may lead to new targets for the development of intervening agents.