Molecular Biology and Genetics MS Thesis Defense by Büşra Harmanda

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KOÇ UNIVERSITY

GRADUATE SCHOOL OF SCIENCES & ENGINEERING

MOLECULAR BIOLOGY AND GENETICS

MS THESIS DEFENSE BY BÜŞRA HARMANDA

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Title: Regulation of Keratin 8 in Cell Cycle

Speaker: Büşra Harmanda

Time: August 22, 2017, 12:00

Place: ENG 208

Koç University

Rumeli Feneri Yolu

Sariyer, Istanbul

Thesis Committee Members:

Assc. Prof. Nurhan ÖZLÜ(Advisor, Koç University)

Asst. Prof. Ayşe KOCA ÇAYDAŞI (Koç University)

Asst. Prof. Nurcan TUNÇBAĞ (METU University)

Abstract:

Cell division is essential for living organisms to accomplish their most fundamental tasks such as transferring their genetic information to next generations. During cell division, cells’ morphology and biochemistry undergo dramatic changes . These complex processes are tightly regulated by various cell cycle dependent kinases. Chromosomes, cell membrane and cytoskeletal elements are highly dynamic during mitosis and cytokinesis. Many aspects of cell division are yet to be discovered including function of master regulators and their dynamic targets at the molecular level. For instance, actin and microtubule filaments, two major members of the cytoskeleton, play critical roles in cell division and their role and regulations are relatively well characterized. However, intermediate filaments, another member of the cytoskeleton, are the less studied aspect in cell division. Therefore, we aimed to study regulation of Keratins, the major member of intermediate filaments, and their regulation by the master mitotic kinases during both mitosis and cytokinesis. We took a mass spectrometry-based phosphoproteomic approach to identify specific phosphorylation sites of Keratin 8 during cell division. Further, we analyzed cytokinesis specific phosphorylation sites of Keratin 8 by using small molecule inhibitors. Our study revealed phosphorylation dependent regulation of Keratin 8 and their cellular function during cytokinesis.