Trial lecture
The candidate will first give a trial lecture on the following topic: 'Regulation of muscles by protein modifications'.
Main research findings
Protein methylation is a fundamental process in which a small chemical group (CH3) is added to proteins by enzymes called methyltransferases. These modifications play an important role in regulating and optimizing protein function. In skeletal muscle, several proteins are known to be methylated. However, for many of these, the functional relevance of the modification, as well as the responsible enzyme, remains elusive. This thesis therefore explores the biological role of these modifications and identifies the enzymes involved.
A protein of particular interest is the motor protein myosin, which for several decades has been known to be methylated at several positions. In this work, we identify the enzyme responsible for methylating a site located near myosin´s ATP-binding region, suggesting a role in optimizing its activity. In addition, we show that METTL21C, an enzyme predominantly expressed in skeletal muscle, modifies the contractile protein fast myosin-binding protein C (fMyBPC). Notably, this modification appears to be restricted to certain muscle types.
Taken together, the findings demonstrate that muscle-specific methyltransferases target functionally relevant muscle proteins, highlighting protein methylation as an important mechanism in regulating the contractile machinery, muscle specialization, and potentially disease.
Adjudication committee
- Professor Clare Davies, University of Birmingham, UK
- Professor Thomas Arnesen, University of Bergen, Norway
- Associate Professor Pierre Chymkowitch, Department of Biosciences, University of Oslo, Norway
Chair of the defense
- Professor Rafal Ciosk, Department of Biosciences, University of Oslo, Norway
Supervisors
- Professor Pål Falnes, Department of Biosciences, University of Oslo, Norway
- Professor Kristian Gundersen, Department of Biosciences, University of Oslo, Norway
- Researcher Erna Davydova, Department of Biosciences, University of Oslo, Norway
- Researcher Mads Bengtsen, Norwegian Institute of Public Health, Norway
- Senior Lecturer Einar Eftestøl, Institute of Basic Medical Sciences, University of Oslo, Norway