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Spudich Lab
"We never met a myosin we didn't like!" |
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Spudich Lab
"We never met a myosin we didn't like!" |
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Hans Warrick, Senior Research Associate |
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The cytoskeleton of cells, although comprised of structural proteins is in fact extremely dynamic. Filamentous proteins are constantly rearranging within the cell and motor proteins are collaborating with them to move components around and provide forces for cellular reshaping. My favorite analogy for a cell is a building, which has structure as well as internal services: i.e. elevators, phones, electricity, plumbing etc. Now imagine the dynamics of a cell which now require the building analogy to constantly reshape itself and translocate itself to new locations, dependent information received on external sensors. Yet, all essential services must be maintained. |
| Cytokinesis, the division of a mother cell into two daughters, is a particularly interesting event as major changes of cellular architecture occur rapidly in a very controlled manner. In Dictyostelium discoidum, my favorite model organism, cytokinesis occurs in less than 3 minutes compared to a ~9 hour doubling time. How many of the approximately 6,000 genes in this organism are required for this essential event?
My favorite activity is attempting to develop assays to quantitate aspects of cytokinesis. This keeps me constantly exploring and learning new things. |
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