Exploiting divergent biology of two fission yeasts to understand membrane function

Membrane function is fundamental to life. Deregulation of the membrane lipid repertoire has severe consequences for cellular and organismal fitness.

Defining how lipid composition controls membrane organization and cellular physiology remains a major challenge in biology.

Membrane lipid composition is subject to complex feedbacks and reflects the metabolic and regulatory capabilities of the specific experimental system.

I propose to attack this problem by exploiting the natural divergence in membrane lipid composition between S. pombe and S. japonicus, two related genetically tractable fission yeasts with different lifestyles.

I believe that our research program integrating comparative analyses and reverse engineering of cellular mechanisms with biophysics and systems approaches, provides an unmatched discovery platform capable of revealing the core principles that govern membrane organization and function.

Our research will explain how changes in the architecture of glycerophospholipid fatty acyl tails affect membrane properties. It will provide insights into the organization and evolution of genetic networks regulating membrane homeostasis.

Finally, it will test if acquisition of new lipid metabolic functionalities engenders diversification of cellular pathways and organismal physiology.