1. Control of cell division and cell morphology in yeast

Understanding how cell cycle progression is regulated is critical for understanding how cellular events proceed in a orderly fashion. Much attention has been devoted to understanding how nuclear processes, such as DNA replication, are coordinated with cell cycle progression, but whether and how peripheral cytoskeletal events are monitored and controlled by the cell cycle machinery is not known.  We have found a novel cytoskeletal checkpoint in which the organization of the septin cytoskeleton is coordinated with nuclear division.  Septins are highly conserved cytoskeletal elements in involved in septation (cytokinesis).  A highly conserved protein kinase cascade regulates this event. One key enzyme in this cascade is the protein kinase Hsl1 which is activated upon septin polymerization.  To learn about how Hsl1 functions we are using genomic approaches to identify its substrates.

2. Characterization of proteomes

3. Analysis of regulatory circuits in yeast

4. Characterization of the human genome

5. Sex-specific gene expression in mammals