Cameron Kirk

Myosin 2’s Intracellular Trafficking

Intracellular trafficking involves the extensive selection of mechanisms that transport biomolecules or cargos from a donor organelle to a target organelle inside the cell. The endosome to trans-Golgi network (TGN) transport is a concrete example of these pathways. Understanding the precise molecular mechanisms underlying the traffic pathway will aid in the development of drug targeting, which fights against human diseases derived from dysregulation of the pathway. The myosin family of motor proteins, including Myo2, has been identified to facilitate the movement of Vps10 and Snc1 toward the Golgi. Therefore, our working hypothesis is that Myo2 spatially coincides with its cargo. To examine this possibility, we will use a yeast strain that expresses Myo2-mcherry and Vps10-GFP to observe the extent of colocalization between these fluorescent proteins. Previously, we found that Myo2 plays a role in cargo sorting at the endosome, and we will expand this research to precisely pinpoint the role of Myo2 in sorting cargo. For this, we will investigate the distribution dynamics of Cps1-GFP that typically make its way from the endosome to the lumen of the vacuole. Several point mutated myosin 2 strains will be used for the research, which will help us characterize Myo2’s functions for Cps1 sorting at the endosome. The sorting will provide hints for determining the role of Myo2 for Vps10 and Snc1 sorting at the endosome. Together, the proposed research will provide a considerable amount of insight on Myo2’s function on the cargo trafficking to the Golgi.