Characterization of a novel JNK1-interacting protein, Clone7

• Main Author: Ng, Doris Cui Xia
• Other Authors: Kanaga Sabapathy
• Format: Final Year Project
• Language: English
• Published: 2009
• Subjects: DRNTU::Science::Biological sciences::Cytology
• Online Access: http://hdl.handle.net/10356/16318
• Institution: Nanyang Technological University

The c-Jun N-terminal Kinases (JNK), through their interaction with a variety of proteins, mediate many cellular signaling cascades. Identification of specific protein interacting partners of the different JNK isoforms is important for designing therapeutical drugs for the treatment of pathological diseases in which JNKs are implicated. Clone7 protein, a protein involved in the acetylation of a specific transcription factor (TF), has been previously identified by mass spectrometry as a potential interacting partner of JNK1. My study was directed towards the characterization of this novel protein – protein interaction. GST-pull down and coimmunoprecipitation assays were first used to reconfirm the mass spectrometry results. They revealed that Clone7 interacts only with JNK1 but not with JNK2 isoform. Moreover, we found that JNK regulates acetylation of the TF, as treatment with the JNK inhibitor reduced this event. Since, both JNK1 and Clone7 are involved in regulation of acetylation of same TF, experiments are underway to establish if JNK regulates TF acetylation through Clone7. Together, this work has demonstrated the specific interaction of JNK1 with Clone7, which will be the basis for future functional studies