Are there other components required for Mgm1ps function in mitochondrial structure?
Mentor: Dr. Jodi Nunnari, UC Davis We propose that like Dnm1p, a dynamin-related GTPase that mediates fission on the outer membrane, Mgm1p will be regulated by additional proteins on the inner membrane. We are conducting a novel enhancer screen to identify components that assist Mgm1p in its function to remodel the inner mitochondrial membrane for efficient mitochondrial fusion. After mutagenizing mgm1-5 cells with uv rays, we screened for mutants that enhanced the phenotype of mgm1-5 cells. In order to ascertain whether the enhancer mutation was specific to MGM1, we introduced a copy of wild type MGM1 into mutagenized cells containing putative enhancer mutations and tested whether MGM1 restored wild type growth. Next, the mutant was backcrossed to mgm1-5 to ensure that only a mutation in a single locus was conferring the enhanced phenotype. The mutant was also backcrossed to wild type to obtain haploid cells containing the enhancer mutation alone and assess its phenotype. If enhancer
