Nuclear Pore Complexes
Nup153
Molecular Mechanisms
Pore and Envelope Disassembly
Cell Division
Structure-Function Analysis
The Tumor Suppressor PDCD4

The nucleus and cytoplasm of a eukaryotic cell provide unique environments for specialized processes. Moreover, this physical division adds a critical level of spatial regulation to many fundamental cellular functions, from DNA replication to translation. Both separation and communication between these distinct compartments are vital to normal cell function. Two membrane bilayers form a nuclear envelope that provides a barrier; nuclear pore complexes embedded in this envelope allow for selective trafficking between the nucleus and cytoplasm. We are particularly interested in the process by which the nuclear pore and the nuclear envelope itself are disassembled and reassembled during cell division. This has led to an interest in how these processes are tied in to cell cycle regulation. We also have an emerging project that stemmed from our interest in RNA biogenesis, but has evolved into an investigation of a protein partnership with particular significance in cancer.