Section: Research

Postdoctoral Position Available

Mitsuo Ikebe, Ph.D.

Academic Role: Professor

Faculty Appointment(s) In:
   Physiology

Other Affiliation(s):
   Biochemistry and Molecular Pharmacology
   Cell Dynamics Group
   Interdisciplinary Graduate Program

Function and Regulation of Motor Proteins in Cellular Processes

Motor proteins play a fundamental role in diverse cellular processes, such as muscle contraction, cytokinesis, chemotaxis, phagocytosis, secretion, exocytosis, endocytosis, vesicular trafficking, etc. We wish to clarify the function and regulation of motor proteins in these cellular processes.

The goal of the research in my laboratory is two fold. One is to understand the events responsible for linking stimuli to contractile activity in smooth muscle as well as non-muscle cells at the molecular level. It is well known that a number of cellular events are regulated by protein kinases/phosphatases cascade. For vertebrate smooth muscle as well as non-muscle contractile machinery, the phosphorylation of myosin molecules is the predominant regulatory mechanism for contraction. While the protein kinases and phosphatases which catalyze these processes have been identified, the regulatory cascade of myosin phosphorylation /dephosphorylation is complex and has not been clarified. Although it is established that myosin phosphorylation is obligatory for initiation of smooth muscle contraction, it is not understood how myosin phosphorylation and the motility of non-muscle cells during cytokinesis , chemotaxis etc. are interrelated. Our objective is to clarify these problems.

The second goal of my research is to clarify the physiological function and regulation of mammalian unconventional myosins. It has recently become clear that myosin forms a large and diverse group of molecular motors which have been hypothesized to play fundamental roles in various cellular processes such as cell locomotion, phagocytosis and vesicle transport. Our goal is to identify the physiological function of each unconventional myosin and clarify the regulatory mechanism of these motor proteins.

Office: S4-308
Phone: 508-856-1954
Fax: 508-856-5997
E-mail: Mitsuo.Ikebe@umassmed.edu
Keywords: Intracellular Trafficking, Signal Transduction

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Postdoctoral Position Available A postdoctoral position is available to study in this laboratory. Contact Dr. Ikebe for additional details.