Thesis defense: Margot Weber

Margot Weber will present her research work that has been performed at IBS under the direction of Rebekka Wild.

My thesis explores how cells produce and use molecules that help control communication between cells. First, I studied β3GalT6, an enzyme involved in building complex sugar chains found on cell surfaces. By determining its three-dimensional structure, I identified how this enzyme recognizes and processes its substrates. Second, I investigated how glypicans, proteins found at the cell surface, interact with Sonic Hedgehog (Shh), a molecule that helps control tissue development. I found that Shh interacts with the sugar chains attached to glypicans rather than with the protein itself. These results provide new insights into how cells regulate signaling molecules and how glypicans may contribute to these processes.