Research Summary
The ability to invade neighbouring tissues and to spread to organs distant from their origin is the most deadly feature of cancer cells. However, none of the currently available drugs specifically targets cancer metastasis. We aim to understand the mechanochemical processes underlying cell migration and differentiation in order to feed new knowledge into the drug-development pathway.
Microtubules are essential for chromosome segregation, intracellular transport, positioning of organelles, directed cell migration and differentiation. All these processes require the organization of microtubules into arrays with different geometry and density and the proper regulation of dynamics and interactions at the microtubule ends. My lab focuses on the mechanisms that generate specific microtubule arrays in polarized cells and on the dynamic interactions of microtubule tips at the cell cortex during cell shape changes and migration.
Anne Straube
>> see what happened to past members of the lab here
>> 2-page cv available here
van der Vaart, B., Akhmanova, A. and Straube, A. (2009) Regulation of microtubule dynamic instability.
Biochem Soc Trans 37 (Pt 5), 1007-1013.
Straube, A. and Merdes, A. (2007)
EB3 regulates microtubule dynamics at the cell cortex and is required for myoblast elongation and fusion.
Current Biol 17 (15), 1318-1325.
Straube, A., Hause, G., Fink, G. and Steinberg, G. (2006)
Conventional kinesin mediates microtubule-microtubule interactions in vivo.
Mol Biol Cell 17, 907-916.
Straube, A., Weber, I. and Steinberg, G. (2005)
A novel mechanism of nuclear envelope breakdown in a fungus: nuclear migration strips off the envelope.
EMBO Journal 24 (9), 1674-1685.
Straube, A., Enard, W., Berner, A., Wedlich-Söldner, R., Kahmann, R. and Steinberg, G. (2001)
A split motor domain in a cytoplasmic dynein.
EMBO Journal 20 (18), 5091-5100.
Daniel Roth | research assistant | funded by Marie Curie Cancer Care
EB proteins are the master integrators of the plus tip network. Together with Anne, I study microtubule affinity mutants of EB1 and EB3 to understand how these proteins bind to microtubule and how their direct effect on microtubule dynamics is determined. In addition, I study the cellular functions of EB1, EB2 and EB3.
Binyam Mogessie | phd student | funded by Marie Curie Cancer Care
Non-motor MAPs are thought to crossbridge microtubules and contribute to the organization and extensive stabilization of the parallel microtubule array in differentiating muscle cells. I study the function of muscle-specific MAP4 isoforms.
Ulrike Theisen | postdoctoral research fellow | funded by Marie Curie Cancer Care
Kinesin motors perform the long-distance transport towards the plus end of microtubules. Thus kinesins are likely to be responsible for delivering polarity factors to the cell edges. I study the function of kinesin motors during the elongation and fusion of differentiating muscle cells.
Natalia Wasiluk | Erasmus student | funded by the EU
Reconstitution of EB plus end tracking in vitro.
Programe Grant | Marie Curie Cancer Care
Mechanisms of directional cell migration and differentiation
£630,000 - 2009 to 2012
The University of Warwick, Coventry, CV4 7AL, United Kingdom.
Anne Straube