Caveolin-3 a novel regulator of ryanodine receptor nitrosylation; a relationship that is perturbed in diabetic cardiomyopathy
Heart complications are a major cause of death in people with diabetes and these complications are often associated with abnormal contraction of the heart. A protein called the ryanodine receptor (RyR) helps to control heart contraction by regulating calcium release from a large store in heart cells. The function of the RyR is altered in diabetes but we don’t know exactly what goes wrong. These researchers at the University of Manchester have worked out the first 3-D structure of another protein called caveolin-3. Caveolin-3 acts as a scaffold, bringing other proteins together for them to interact. The researchers identified that the RyR interacts with caveolin-3, and they believe that this interaction may be crucial to the function of RyR. This PhD studentship will investigate how the RyR–caveolin-3 interaction affects healthy heart cells and whether this interaction is disrupted in a model of diabetes. Understanding what happens in detail in the cell is important to develop new therapies for heart problems that occur in people with diabetes.
Project details
| Grant amount | £112,564 |
|---|---|
| Grant type | Fellowships |
| Application type | PhD Studentship |
| Start Date | 01 January 2014 |
| Duration | 3 years |
| Reference | FS/13/62/30411 |
| Status | Complete |
