Research Interests and Description

1. Biogenesis of polytopic integral membrane proteins
2. Mechanisms of protein translocation and assembly in the endoplasmic reticulum
3. ER quality control and ER-associated degradation (ERAD)
4. Extraction and Degradation of polytopic membrane proteins

Proteins that span the membrane multiple times (polytopic proteins) comprise a diverse group of proteins that includes membrane receptors, transporters, ion channels and enzymes. In the past two decades a great deal has been learned regarding how such proteins function. Little is known, however, of the details regarding their assembly into membranes and specific steps involved in intracellular maturation, processing and degradation. Research in the Skach laboratory is centered around two basic issues relating to polytopic protein biology. The first is the mechanism by which such proteins translocate across, fold into and assemble within in the endoplasmic reticulum membrane. The second is the mechanism by which disease related mutations disrupt protein folding, alert quality control machinery and direct protein degradation via the ubiquitin-proteasome pathway.

Sources:  http://www.ohsu.edu/research/skachlab/index.shtml#interests