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William Theurkauf, Ph.D.Academic Role: Professor
Faculty Appointment(s) In:
Other Affiliation(s):
Regulation of mitotic chromosome segregation
Office: Bio4 312E
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Accurate mitotic and meiotic chromosome segregation is essential to normal development
and cell proliferation, and defects in chromosome transmission can lead to cancer or
birth defects. A major focus of the laboratory is to understand the mechanisms that
regulate mitotic chromosome segregation. We use the fruit fly Drosophila melanogaster
as our experimental system. The fly supports a unique combination of classical and
molecular genetic studies, high resolution in vivo imaging, and biochemical
approaches. Current studies are directed at understanding the developmental functions
of cell cycle checkpoint pathways, and cell cycle control of actin and microtubule
reorganization during mitosis. A second area of interest is embryonic axis specification.
In Drosophila, the embryonic axes are specified during oogenesis through the
asymmetric localization of key morphogenetic molecules within the developing oocyte. An
intact microtubule network is essential to axis specification, and we hope to define
the molecular functions for microtubules this fundamental developmental process. We are
currently using in vivo imagine techniques to determine the organization and dynamics
of microtubules during oogenesis, and to directly examine cytoplasmic transport and anchoring
of morphogenetic mRNAs within the developing oocyte. In addition, we have started
to biochemically characterize ovarian microtubule motors, with the goal of identifying
the proteins that mediate mRNA movements to the oocyte poles.
55 Lake Avenue North Worcester, MA 01655-0122