Lines of Research
Background
Previously, the PI studied the signal transduction pathways of the WASP protein, so named because it is mutated in the immunodeficiency called Wiskott-Aldrich syndrome. Thus it was found that WASP-interacting protein (WIP) is an inhibitor of N-WASP activity [1] and in collaboration with Dr. Fred Alt, detailed studies of WAVE2, another member of the WASP family of proteins were carried out [2].
A key seminal contribution to research on the cytoskeleton is the demonstration that cortactin is a potent activator of N-WASP, thereby uncovering a connection between the two major families of activators of the Arp2/3 complex. Furthermore, an on-off switching mechanism regulated by Erk and Src phosphorylation of cortactin was proposed [3].The model has since been featured in various reviews and commentaries [4-7]. This model, called the “S-Y switch" has been studied in diverse fields [8, 9] and was the start point for the research lines in our group.
