A06 Weinkauf/Haslbeck/Buchner: Conformational plasticity of small Hsps

Small heat shock proteins (sHsps) are molecular chaperones which act as a first response to proteotoxic stress. A striking feature of sHsps is their existence as dynamic ensembles of interconverting oligomers which is directly linked to their chaperone activity. In previous work, we addressed structural and mechanistic aspects of sHsps including regulatory triggers that control their activity on the conformational level. In future work, we will expand our studies on the conformational dynamics regulating sHsp with a focus on their oligomeric structures, the N‑terminal region of sHsps and substrate recognition, and mechanistic principles of activity regulation.

The project investigator Sevil Weinkauf passed away 2022. The project research will be continued.