ESR6: Sigrid Pedersen
Vertical Divider
Host Organization
Charité - Universitätsmedizin Berlin Germany Supervisor Dr. Patrick Scheerer 
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Structural elucidation of allosteric mechanisms in G-protein coupled receptors or other membrane proteins by structural biology methods The melanocortin receptor family (MC1R-MC5R) are G-protein-coupled receptors that act in various pathways. In particular, MC3R and MC4R, which are primarily expressed in hypothalamus region of the brain, play an important role in the food intake and energy expenditure pathways. MC4R especially is relevant in about 5% of monogenic obesity cases, and MC3R has been linked to both anorexia and the timing of puberty in humans. The functional and also structural differences of MC3R compared to MC4R are still largely unknown.
The Scheerer lab at Charité has recently solved several MC4R structures in complex with its coupled Gs-protein and different ligands and drugs. The main goal of my project will therefore be to apply similar strategy to MC3R and explore what new information this structure can reveal compared to MC4R. Another aim of my project is to investigate allosteric effects of modulators on the receptors. Here, the effect of the endogenous allosteric modulator protein MRAP2 on MC3R is of particular interest. |
Brief Scientific Bio
I acquired my Bachelor in Biochemistry at the University of Copenhagen in Denmark. I also did a two-month internship at the Ryan lab at the Trinity College in Dublin and a three-month internship at the Louis Malardé institute in Tahiti. I then went back to Copenhagen for my Master in Biochemistry. My Master project revolved around the ubiquitin degradation pathway of the C152W ASPA and R42P PARK2 mutants in a human cell line. During my Master I was also particularly intrigued by a Molecular Neurobiology course and I decided to pursue that interest at the Charité - Universitätsmedizin Berlin (Medical University) in Germany.
I acquired my Bachelor in Biochemistry at the University of Copenhagen in Denmark. I also did a two-month internship at the Ryan lab at the Trinity College in Dublin and a three-month internship at the Louis Malardé institute in Tahiti. I then went back to Copenhagen for my Master in Biochemistry. My Master project revolved around the ubiquitin degradation pathway of the C152W ASPA and R42P PARK2 mutants in a human cell line. During my Master I was also particularly intrigued by a Molecular Neurobiology course and I decided to pursue that interest at the Charité - Universitätsmedizin Berlin (Medical University) in Germany.
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This project has received funding from the European Union's Horizon 2020 research and innovation programme under the Marie Skłodowska-Curie grant agreement No 956314.
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