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Research Description:
The cells that comprise the epithelium are constantly turning over via cell
division and death. For an adult tissue to maintain homeostasis, the numbers
of cells that divide must match those that die. Epithelial cancers (or carcinomas)
results when this balance is lost and too many cells accumulate. Our lab studies
both cell death (apoptosis) and cell division (mitosis), focusing primarily
on and the roles that the actin and microtubule cytoskeletons play in both
processes.
On apoptosis, we have discovered a process for how apoptotic cells are eliminated from the epithelium without compromising the epithelial barrier function. Here, the dying cell sends signals to its live neighbors, which respond by forming an actin and myosin ring that contracts to squeeze the dying cell out.
On mitosis, we have discovered a novel mechanism for centrosome
separation during spindle assembly. We have found that the two asters of the
forming spindle separate by attachment to a moving cortex, which is driven
by actin and myosin II contraction.
Research Keywords:
Cytoskeleton, epithelia, apoptosis, mitosis