Cell Biology: Mitosis, Ciliogenesis, Intracellular Transport and Motor Protein Functions

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Motor Protein Functions in Mitosis and Ciliogenesis

Our  laboratory is interested in the assembly, mechanism of action and biological functions  of subcellular, multimeric, macromolecular machines that are intermediate in scale between individual  macromolecules and whole cells, specifically (i) mitotic spindles; (ii) motile  and sensory cilia; and (iii) the intracellular transport machinery. The moving  parts of these machines are cytoskeletal motors and polymers which convert free  energy into force and motion in order to carry out their function. Accordingly  our research combines studies of the  basic biochemistry and molecular biology of microtubule-based motors (kinesins and  dyneins) and microtubule polymer dynamics, high resolution time-lapse  microscopy of motor action in sensory cilia and mitotic spindles in  vivo, and quantitative modeling. Over the years we have studied mitosis,  intracellular transport and ciliogenesis in echinoderm embryos, Drosophila embryos and C.  elegans neurons. We hope that this combination of approaches will  illuminate the molecular and biophysical principles underlying the roles of cytoskeletal  motors in building subcellular machines  and the mechanism of action of the machines that carry out mitosis and  chromosome segregation, intraflagellar transport and cilium biogenesis as well  as other critical subcellular processes.

The Scholey lab officially closed in March 2015 when Jon retired on his 60th birthday.

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