Research Projects

Ubiquitination is a crucial post-translational modification process that involves attaching a small protein, Ubiquitin, to a substrate. The Skp1-Cullin-Fbox (SCF) ubiquitin ligase is the largest E3 ligase class, regulating ubiquitin transfer to specific substrates and influencing cell-cycle control or DNA damage repair. The SCF complex contains 69 different mammalian F-box proteins, all of which bind to a common adaptor protein, Skp1. The molecular recognition of different F-box proteins through Skp1 remains elusive. The lab uses NMR-based methods to understand the dynamic nature of Skp1 and its possible association with the 69 partners. The study aims to work on an F-box protein, Fbxo36, associated with prostate cancer progression. Through cellular studies, the researchers plan to identify the substrates of Fbxo36 and its role in cancer progression. The study will use small angle/X-ray and solution NMR techniques to elucidate the structure or structural ensemble of the Skp1-Fbxo36 complex, providing conformational and mechanistic insight into Fbxo36 recognition by Skp1. The implications of FBXO36 in prostate cancer progression through the degradation of cognate substrates could help shed light on its potential site as a therapeutic target.