Department of Biochemistry
4-403 BSB
Iowa City, IA 52242-1109 USA phone: 877-846-8569
or 319-335-7932
fax: (319) 335-9570
biochem@uiowa.edu
Department of Biochemistry
Faculty Profiles
Peter A. Rubenstein, Ph.D
Professor
Current Research
My research focuses on the factors that determine actin function in muscle and nonmuscle cells. We use site-directed mutagenesis coupled with a yeast expression system to make specific changes in yeast actin and to then assess the effects of these mutations in vivo and in vitro. Specific on-going projects involve a determination of the factors that allow formation of stable actin filaments, the role of the bound nucleotide in actin function, and the postulated role of tropomyosin as an actin-filament stabilizing protein.
Figure Legend. Tryptic peptide digest of wild-type and two mutant yeast actins with altered amino terminal regions. Mutations were made using site-directed mutagenesis. Arrows denote the peptides in which the mutations are located. A: wild-type actin; B: D2 and E4 altered to N and Q respectively; C: D2 - E4 deleted
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