Federal Grant Award Summary

The University of Alabama at Birmingham received a $445,358 Project Grant from the National Institute of General Medical Sciences (NIGMS) under the Biomedical Research and Research Training program (CFDA 93.859) for the period June 1, 2026 through May 31, 2030. The award funds fundamental biomedical research investigating the regulation of apical constriction by the RhoGEF (Rho Guanine nucleotide Exchange Factor) protein PLEKHG5 during epithelial morphogenesis. The research addresses critical gaps in understanding the molecular control of epithelial remodeling, a process essential for both embryonic development and adult tissue homeostasis that dysregulation can cause human diseases such as neural tube defects.

The research deliverables include detailed molecular investigations of PLEKHG5's role in apical constriction, the process by which epithelial cells actively reduce their apical surface area under Rho signaling control. Specific research objectives include examining the sequential molecular events involving junctional recruitment of PLEKHG5, activation of Rho signaling, post-translational modifications, and translocation to regulate actomyosin dynamics at the apical cortex. The four-year project builds upon preliminary findings demonstrating that PLEKHG5 is both necessary and sufficient for apical constriction and that the protein modulates dynamic apical actomyosin organization through self-association mechanisms. The research will utilize animal models to capture epithelial morphogenesis with greater precision and fidelity than traditional in vitro cell culture approaches.