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Kirsten Hagstrom, Ph.D.Academic Role: Assistant Professor
Faculty Appointment(s) In:
Other Affiliation(s):
Chromosome Structure and Segregation During Cell Division
Chromosome condensation, the mechanism that transforms chromosomes from stringy masses into compact rod-shaped structures, is essential for the accurate segregation of the genetic material. My laboratory studies the molecular mechanisms that alter chromosome structure during cell division. This is a fundamentally important question, as defective chromosome segregation can change chromosome number, and may cause cell or organism death, developmental defects, or cancer. Using the nematode C. elegans as an experimental organism, we combine cell biology, biochemistry, and molecular genetics to examine chromosome segregation proteins. Of particular interest is condensin, a conserved multi-protein complex that reconfigures chromosome structure and promotes chromosome segregation. We have shown in C. elegans that condensin is essential for mitosis and meiosis, and localizes to the centromere. We continue to pursue questions about condensin, such as its composition and function during meiosis, its cell cycle regulation, and its centromeric role, as an inroad for understanding chromosome dynamics. An exciting new collection of factors essential for chromosome segregation has been obtained through a functional proteomics approach. Sensitive mass spectrometry methods identified a number of proteins associated with condensin subunits after immunoprecipitation. We are depleting these factors by RNA interference, and monitoring the effects by time-lapse microscopy in living embryos carrying GFP-labeled chromosomes and microtubules. Many of the condensin-interacting factors show intriguing chromosome segregation defects, are conserved among organisms, and have not yet been studied.
Office: Suite 334
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373 Plantation Street Worcester, MA 01605