Septins are conserved, ubiquitous cytoskeletal proteins that have a central role in cell division, cell motility and animal cell and tissue morphogenesis. A large body of evidence suggests that septins organize into palindromic protomers, which can polymerize into filaments and bind the plasma membrane, as well as actin filaments and microtubules. Although human septin dysfunction is linked to infertility, neurodegenerative diseases and cancer, the molecular mechanisms underlying the function of human septins are far from clear. The goal of SEPTIMORF is to provide insights into the molecular function of septins in animal cell morphogenesis.

The central hypothesis of SEPTIMORF is that the type of septin protomer tunes the ability of septins to polymerize and determines their affinity and specificity for membranes, actin filaments and microtubules, and thereby determines septin function. SEPTIMORF will test this hypothesis by combining a bottom-up approach to study the cross-talk of septins with membranes and other cytoskeletal proteins with a top-down strategy to study this interplay in human cells.

The ambition of SEPTIMORF is to provide new insights into how septins functionally organize in human cells thus advancing our understanding of the role of septins in human health and disease.