Wang Lab

Our lab is interested in answering some fundamental questions in cell cycle and protein quality control. First, we are investigating the molecular mechanisms that ensure accurate chromosome segregation during mitosis. Because chromosome missegregation leads to aneuploidy, a hallmark of cancer cells, our research may provide insights into the mechanism of tumorigenesis.  Another project in this lab is to understand why misfolded proteins are toxic to cells and how cells antagonize this toxicity. Accumulation of misfolded proteins causes neurodegenerative disorders, such as Alzheimer and Huntington diseases. Therefore, our research might provide new strategies for the diagnosis and treatment of these diseases. Our lab has been using budding yeast as the model organism to address these questions.

 

Chromosome segregation in yeast cells. Spindle (red); Chromosome IV (Green).

 

   

Kinetochore clustering by Slk19. Richmond et al. 2013 MBoC.

     

Spindle Assembly checkpoint disassembly. Bokros et al. 2016 Cell Reports