Protein methylation: a fundamental regulator of the interactome

The 'interactome', being the interactions of all proteins in the cell, has been intensively studied in yeast. However, we know very little about how the interactions of most proteins are regulated. In this study, we will test if protein methylation is a central means of regulating protein interactions. We will first screen the yeast proteome for protein methylation. We will use this information, and interactions from databases, to build the first methylation network for any cell. Finally, we will use two-hybrid analysis to test how methylation controls the interactions of proteins in this network. The research will yield insights into the regulation of protein interactions and give clues as to how these might ultimately be modulated.