Mapping the Cargo Protein Membrane Translocation Step into the PEX5 Cycling Pathway

Current Position: Ph.D. student, Instituto de Ciências Biomédicas Abel Salazar at the Instituto de Biologia Molecular e Celular of the University of Porto

Education: Licenciatura in biochemistry, 2000, University of Porto

Non-scientific Interests: Travelling, reading and sports

I graduated with my degree in biochemistry from the University of Porto, in Portugal, and initiated my research activities at a biotechnology company in south San Francisco, working on signal transduction pathways in tumour angiogenesis and tumour cell proliferation. After one year, I returned to Porto to work with Prof. Maria João Saraiva on familial amyloidotic polyneuropathy at the Instituto de Biologia Molecular e Celular (IBMC). In 2005, I joined the Organelle Biogenesis and Function group, also at IBMC, and started my Ph.D. studies under the supervision of Prof. Jorge Azevedo. Our group aims to understand the mechanisms of peroxisome biogenesis and function in mammals. The research we have done in past years has relied heavily on a PEX5-centered in vitro system. However, from the very beginning of this work, it was clear that some mechanistic issues could only be addressed using a cargo-centered in vitro import system. Developing this system was a main aim of my Ph.D. work. We now have a valuable tool to better understand how proteins are translocated across the peroxisomal membrane.

Read Alencastre's article on page 27243.