Research units - Cytoskeleton and Cancer
Cytoskeleton and Cancer
The actin cytoskeleton plays a very important role in the regulation of many cellular functions.
Research Overview
Understanding the mechanisms influencing the organization of the actin network within cells is paramount to understanding how extracellular and intracellular cues influence the multitude of processes dependent upon actin dynamics. LIM kinase 1 (LIMK1), first discovered in our laboratory, is an important regulator of actin dynamics and is thereby involved in the regulation of many cellular functions that require changes in actin polymerisation such as: cell motility, cell differentiation, axon path finding, neuronal growth cone motility, spine morphology, endocytosis, cytokinesis, as well as cell survival and cell division.
Research Themes
The role of LIMK2 in cancer metastasis and childhood cancers
The role of LIMK2 in obesity and type II diabetes
The search for new LIMK2 substrates
The role of Rnf6 in regulation of LIMK1 level in cells
Honours and PhD Projects
Staff
Dr Ora Bernard
Dr Rong Li
Dr Juliana Antonipillai
Dr Cristina Gamell-Fulla
Kevin Mittelstaedt
Alice Schofield
Publication Highlights
- Yoshioka K, Foletta V, BERNARD O and Itoh K. A role for LIM kinase in cancer metastasis. Proc Natl Acad Sci USA 100:7247-7252, 2003.
- Victoria C. Foletta, Mei Ann Lim, April P. Kelly, Edouard G. Stanley, Mark Shannon, Juliana Soosairajah, Wei He, Supratik Das, Joan Massagu