[SCAN] Polyphosphates in Deinococcus radiodurans
Sara Silva
| When |
22 Sep, 2021
from
12:00 pm to 01:00 pm |
|---|---|
| Contact Name | Rita Abranches |
| Add event to your calendar |
iCal
|
Title: Polyphosphates in Deinococcus radiodurans
Speaker: Sara Silva
Abstract: The mechanisms involved in cellular response to oxidative stress, in particular caused by radiation, are the focus of intense scientific research interest, as they closely relate with molecular mechanisms of aging and disease. The team of Célia Romão studies the microorganism Deinococcus radiodurans (also known as Conan the Bacterium) for its extraordinary capacity to survive high levels of radiation and desiccation). In this SCAN seminar Sara Silva, a postdoc in the group, will talk about polyphosphates (PolyP), and the role they play in the defence of this microorganism against oxidative stress. Polyphosphates are chains of orthophosphates, linked by high energy bonds. They are ancient and ubiquitous molecules, with multiple functions in unicellular and multicellular organisms. Deinococcus accumulates unusually high amounts of PolyP, in organized granules that also store selectively metals such as Calcium and Manganese. Together with Dps proteins, they are the main players in the fast response of _D. radiodurans_ to oxidative stress. We aim to understand both the structure, the response dynamics and how PolyP chains are formed.
