Glory Ehie

Analyzing Myosin 2’s roles in sorting Vps10 and in transporting Snc1

Alzheimer’s disease is very common in America and is partly associated with dysregulation of intracellular trafficking between the endosome and the Golgi. Myosin II is involved in intracellular transport among the Golgi, Endosome, and transport vacuole. Previously, we identified that Myosin II plays a role in proper transport of Vps10 and Snc1 to the Golgi. When Myosin II function is crippled, these cargoes are found to be located either at the endosome or the vacuole, suggesting Myosin II role in cargo sorting and delivery. Despite these results, there was uncertainty for whether the location of Vps10 was in a vacuole or the endosome. We currently examine the precise subcellular localization of these cargo in WT and myo2 mutant strains.

Furthermore, we have worked to see if Myosin II is implicated in Snc1 exocytosis to the plasma membrane and found that Snc1 is normally targeted to the membrane even in a Myosin II mutant strain. However, we will test this traffic using more myosin II mutants. Our approach to test Snc1’s plasma membrane targeting involves the use of Snc1-pm mutant, an exocytosis competent and endocytosis incompetent mutant. Taken together, our results will shed new insights into the mode of action of Myosin II in medicating these cargo trafficking toward the Golgi.