Dyamic instability, an essential property of microtubules, is an intrinsic attribute of tubulin linked to the binding and hydrolysis of GTP. We have characterized two structural intermediates in the process of microtubule assembly and disassembly and established their connection to nucleotide state and lattice effects... read more

A growing number of cellular factors are being found to regulate this dynamic behavior during the cell cycle, and/or to utilize it for their own function. We are studying how the yeast kinetochore complex Dam1 binds and tracks microtubule plus ends... read more

Regulated gene transcription in eukaryotes requires the assembly of a complex molecular machinery that includes general factors, activators, cofactor complexes and chromatin remodeling factors. We are interested in characterizing the structure of these different components and how they interact to regulate transcription. Read more about RSC...   Read more about PBAF...   Read more about TFIID...   Read more about RNAPII...

In eukaryotes at least twelve translation initiation factors and an mRNA methylated G-cap are required to initiate protein synthesis, while in many viruses a structured RNA element replaces most of those factors. We are studying the molecular interplays that characterize both initiation pathways... read more

During cell division, initiator proteins target and bind to DNA replication origins to trigger genome duplication. Despite extensive research into the mechanism of DNA replication initiation, the precise molecular events of this process have not been well defined. Using electron microscopy we have characterized the structure of Drosophila melanogaster Origin Recognition Complex (DmORC)... read more