The research team led by the biophysicist Prof. Jochen Balbach and Prof. Stephan Feller from the Institute for Molecular Medicine wants to investigate the protein Gab1 (GRB2-associated-binding protein 1). Gab1 is one of estimated 30 percent of all proteins in the human body that are disordered, without a solid structure. They also want to study its counterpart, Grb2 (Growth Factor Receptor Protein 2). Gab1 is involved in the management of the
axons of nerve cells and in the EGFR signalling pathway.

Tumor cells are able to use the signaling mechanisms of the Gab1 for themselves if they want to metastasize, explains Prof. Feller in a press release on the project. The research team wants to provide information. For this purpose they obtained a research budget of euros 240,000 from the German Research Foundation.

The aim is to elucidate basic principles of structural formation. Whereas Prof. Balbach wants to analyze the structure of the Gab1 with nuclear magnetic resonance spectroscopy (NMR), Prof. Feller will deal with the interaction between Gab1 and Grb2, which are produced in E. coli bacteria and human cells.

Source:
http://hallespektrum.de/nachrichten/bildung/forscher-der-uni-halle-untersuchen-wichtige-schaltzentrale-in-der-zelle/292648/

Further information:
http://www.uniprot.org/uniprot/Q1348