P7, Julia Fitzgerald
Miro function and relevance to Parkinson’s disease
Miro1 is an outer mitochondrial membrane protein that plays an important role in mitochondrial movement and turnover. We are interested in the role of Miro1 in Parkinson’s disease and would like to uncover the complex functions of Miro1 and investigate the relevance of RhoT1/Miro1 variants. We will use induced pluripotent stem cell (iPSC)-derived neurons, patient-derived cells and tissue.
The project aims to decipher the mechanisms of Miro1-mediated mitochondrial turnover, metabolism and calcium signaling. Through expert collaboration within the RTG we will study mitochondrial-ER contact sites and monitor Miro1 localization, post-translational modification and turnover in healthy and Parkinson’s disease models.
