Molecular Biology and Genetics MS Thesis Defense by Erdem Şanal

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KOÇ UNIVERSITY

GRADUATE SCHOOL OF SCIENCES & ENGINEERING

MOLECULAR BIOLOGY AND GENETICS

MS THESIS DEFENSE BY ERDEM ŞANAL

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Title: Quantitative and Network Analysis of Cytokinesis Specific Phosphoproteins

Speaker: Erdem Şanal

Time: August 22, 2017, 11:00

Place: ENG 208

Koç University

Rumeli Feneri Yolu

Sariyer, Istanbul

Thesis Committee Members:

Asst. Prof. Dr. Nurhan Özlü (Advisor, Koc University)

Asst. Prof. Dr. Ayşe Koca Çaydaşı (Koc University)

Asst. Prof. Dr. Nurcan Tunçbağ (Middle East Technical University)

Abstract:

Nuclear division (mitosis) phosphorylation events have been characterized extensively however phosphorylation events taking place during cytoplasmic division (cytokinesis) specific phosphoproteins and responsible kinases are not well characterized. Our mass spectrometry analysis revealed ~1500 phosphorylation events that are specific to cytokinesis. We identified responsible kinases that are active during cytokinesis using a kinase-substrate prediction algorithm on our dataset. Including previously known cell cycle regulator kinases such as MAPK, CDK1/2 and Aurora, total 31 kinases were predicted to be active during cytokinesis. We also identified phosphorylation sites that are only present during cytokinesis in MKI67 protein which is previously reported as a proliferation marker. MKI67 localizes to chromosomes during mitosis, acting as a surfactant preventing chromosome condensation. These phosphorylation sites are found in N terminus successive repeat domains with unknown function. We suggest that cytokinesis specific phosphorylation of MKI67 might be important for its function in cell division during cytoplasmic division.