Cell division imaged in the budding yeast Saccharomyces cerevisiae. The chromosomes are shown in blue, the mitotic spindle in green and the centrosomes in red.
The elucidation of the mechanisms of cell cycle control is crucial for the understanding of cell division defects associated with diseases including cancer. We are studying the centrosome, which ensures the accurate segregation of genetic material during mitosis. In particular, we are interested in substructures of the centrosome, named centrioles, which organize the formation of cilia in specialized cells. Cilia have essential roles in the human body, such as driving the sperm forward or transporting the ovum to the uterus; in the lung they move the mucus along the epithelial surface. Cilia defects are not only associated with infertility and respiratory problems but also with the formation of tumors such as lung cancer.
However, the molecular events underlying these defects are only rudimentarily understood. Using yeast and mammalian cells as model systems, we are dissecting the role of centrosomes and centrioles in cell cycle regulation. We are using methods such as proteome analysis and genetic screens to understand the role that these components play in disease, specifically carcinogenesis.