Research Abstract:
The long-term goal of our research is to understand the molecular basis of cell motility, including the role of motility in human disease, especially cancer. How do actin, microtubules and their motors control the shape and movement of cells? How are these elements of the cytoskeleton regulated by signals from the cell cycle machinery and from outside the cell? How is cell cycle progression regulated by checkpoints based on the cytoskeleton? We study these questions in vertebrates and yeast, using the strengths of each system. We utilize a variety of technical approaches encompassing genetics, biochemistry and cell biology.
Current projects in the lab include the following: 1) Actin assembly and membrane dynamics in animal cells: We are studying how actin-binding proteins regulated by signals from cancer-causing viruses and growth factors direct the polymerization of actin, which causes cells to move and change shape. 2) Actin in yeast: In yeast, actin is the basis for endocytosis and polarized growth. We are interested in the molecular mechanisms that underlie these processes. 3) Mitosis in yeast: We are interested in how microtubules and their motors function in mitosis, in particular how microtubules interact with the cell cortex to position the mitotic spindle. 4) Cell cycle control: In yeast, we discovered a new cell cycle checkpoint that connects mitosis and cell division, with a connection to human cancer. We are investigating the molecular basis of this checkpoint.
Selected Publications:
Moore JK, Sept D, Cooper JA. Neurodegeneration mutations in dynactin impair dynein-dependent nuclear migration. Proc. Natl. Acad. Sci. U S A. 2009 106: 5147-5152.
Butler B, Kastendieck DH, Cooper JA. Differently phosphorylated forms of the cortactin homolog HS1 mediate distinct functions in natural killer cells. Nature Immunology. 2008 9:887-897.
Galletta BJ, Chuang DY, Cooper JA. Distinct Roles for Arp2/3 Regulators in Actin Assembly and Endocytosis. PLoS Biology. 2008 6: e1.
Moore JK, Li J, Cooper JA. Dynactin function in mitotic spindle positioning. Traffic. 2008 9: 510-527.
Nelson SA, Cooper JA. A Novel Pathway that Coordinates Mitotic Exit with Spindle Position. Mol Biol Cell. 2007 18:3440-3450.
Last Updated: 08/11/2009 |