Prof. Vogel’s research focuses on proteins and peptides that play a role in infectious and inflammatory diseases or in cancer, including calcium-regulatory proteins and host-defense peptides. He is also actively involved in several clinical metabolomic research programs, using NMR spectroscopy and mass spectroscopy to analyse metabolite profiles in patient samples. 

Venue: LINXS Workshop room, Ideon Delta 5, Scheelevägen 19, 5th floor (map)

Time: 15.00 - 16.00 (Coffee and cake is served from 14.45)

Title: Calcium binding to L-plastin regulates actin bundling: a target for new anti-metastasis drugs?

Abstract: The plastin proteins, also known as fimbrins, are found in all eukaryotic organisms, where they are involved in actin-bundling. They have a unique multidomain structure made up of four CH domains and two EF-hand calcium binding motifs. The four CH domains are directly involved in the  bundling of F-actin, while binding of calcium to the EF-hand headpiece of the protein can inhibit this process. Using NMR spectroscopy and various biophysical methods, we have studied the calcium-binding headpiece domains of L-plastin and various other plastics/fimbrins. Our results reveal an unexpected activation mechanism, involving a flexible region in the apo-protein. L-plastin is normally only expressed in white blood cells, but it also is highly expressed in metastatic cancer cells, making this protein a potential target for the development of new anticancer drugs.