Post-doc
PhD Birol Cabukusta
RESEARCH:
Membrane contact sites are intracellular regions where two organelles come closer to exchange information and material. I am interested in the highly conserved VAP protein family specialized in forming membrane contact sites. VAP proteins are localized in the endoplasmic reticulum (ER) and interact with proteins located on other organelles to form contact sites. To bring other proteins to the ER, VAP proteins interact with FFAT (two phenylalanines in an acidic tract) motifs found on other proteins. I recently characterized two new members of this family, namely MOSPD1 and MOSPD3. I found that MOSPD1 and MOSPD3 do not interact with FFAT motifs, but instead interact with a related motif called FFNT (two phenylalanines in a neutral tract). My current efforts are focused on the role of the newly identified VAP proteins in various biochemical events that occur between organelles at membrane contact sites.
CURRICULUM VITAE:
I completed my Bachelor’s and Master’s degrees in Turkey and the Netherlands, respectively. As a part of the EU-funded Marie Curie ITN SPHINGONET, I moved to Germany for my PhD at University of Osnabrück. During my PhD, I studied the ER-localized ceramide phosphoethanolamine synthase enzyme SMSr and pursued a better understanding of sphingolipid homeostasis in mammalian cells. I obtained my PhD in November 2016 and started as a post-doc in Neefjes lab in January 2017. I like coffee.
Publications
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What the VAP: The expanded VAP family of proteins interacting with FFAT and FFAT-related motifs for interorganellar contact
Jacques Neefjes, Birol Cabukusta
Contact 2021;4:1-11
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Human VAPome analysis reveals MOSPD1 and MOSPD3 as membrane contact site proteins interacting with FFAT-related FFNT motifs.
Cabukusta B, Berlin I, van Elsland DM, Forkink I, Spits M, de Jong AWM, Akkermans JJLL, Wijdeven RHM, Janssen GMC, van Veelen PA, Neefjes J.
Cell Rep. 2020;33(10):108475
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Mobile late endosomes modulate peripheral endoplasmic reticulum network architecture.
Spits M, Heesterbeek IT, Voortman LM, Akkermans JJ, Wijdeven RH, Cabukusta B, Neefjes J.
EMBO Rep. 2021;22(3):e50815.
