Laboratory of Cell and Molecular Biology (LCMB)
Principal Investigators
John A. Hanover, Ph.D., Chief
Anthony V. Furano, M.D., Deputy Chief
Orna Cohen-Fix, Ph.D.
Jenny E. Hinshaw, Ph.D.
Deborah M. Hinton, Ph.D.
Will Prinz, Ph.D.
Karen Usdin, Ph.D.
Staff Scientists
Jurgen Heymann, Ph.D.
Charles Jones, Ph. D.
Daman Kumari, Ph.D.
Dona C. Love, Ph.D.
Scientists Emeriti
G. Gilbert Ashwell
William B. Jakoby
The Laboratory of Cell and Molecular Biology conducts laboratory investigations on the organization, compartmentalization, and biochemistry of eukaryotic cells and the pathology associated with human disease. The laboratory uses molecular genetics and biochemical approaches to understand the mechanisms of the intracellular trafficking of lipids, nuclear proteins, and other factors regulating transcription, replication, and signal transduction. The laboratory also explores the fundamental processes involved in cell cycle control, genome structure, and replication, as well as the control of gene expression. Another area of emphasis is the glycobiology of development, stem cell biology, and epigenetics.
Individual research groups within the laboratory currently focus on:
- Cell cycle regulation and nuclear structure
- The nuclear pore complex and mechanisms of nuclear transport
- The movement of cholesterol within cells (Niemann-Pick disease type C)
- Glycobiology: cell surface glycoproteins (HIV glycoprotein interactions with CD4)
- Glycoprotein biosynthesis and the enzymology of glycosyltransferases
- The molecular mechanisms of insulin resistance and glucose-sensing in the pancreas (as part of type 1 and type 2 diabetes)
- Receptor-mediated endocytosis
- Structural biology and image reconstruction
- DNA replication
- The evolution, structure, and function of the mammalian L1 (LINE-1) retrotransposon
- Regulation of prokaryotic transcription initiation
- Initial events of steroid hormone action, with an emphasis on glucocorticoid receptors
- The causes and consequences of repeat expansion in Fragile X syndrome and Friedreich's ataxia
Page last updated: January 11, 2012
