Matteo Riva

My thesis project is about Ca²⁺-affinity of bovine recoverin, a neuronal calcium sensor protein mainly found in photoreceptor cells. In vitro measurements determined a recoverin Ca²⁺-affinity of around 17 uM (K_d value), but the actual calcium concentration within the photoreceptor cells is lower (up to 600 nM). This would suggest an inactive state of recoverin under these conditions.

A possibility to bring recoverins affinity for calcium into the physiological concentration range, could be the interaction with the G-protein-coupled receptor kinase, its protein partner.Therefore I’m working on the hypothesis that the interaction between Recoverin and its target peptide (GRK 1-25) might enhance the recoverin affinity for Ca²⁺ as already seen in other biochemical processes.