Molecular Cell Biology

LaJoie Group

The LaJoie Group seeks to define the molecular mechanisms underlying diseases of the nuclear envelope. To address these questions, we integrate approaches from biochemistry, structural proteomics, and cell biology. By working in disease-relevant cell types, we aim to investigate fundamental questions in cell biology within the physiological contexts in which these diseases arise, as different cell types exhibit distinct cytoskeletal and membrane architectures. We are additionally interested in the contribution of open mitosis to nuclear envelope phenotypes observed in disease states and seek to parse interphasic versus mitotic roles for proteins of interest. Through biochemical and structural characterization of protein-protein interactions, we 1) examine how disease-associated mutations alter protein function, and 2) design separation-of-function mutations to dissect molecular pathways in vitro and in situ. Understanding how protein dysfunction causes specific nuclear-cytoskeletal coupling phenotypes which in turn result in disease will provide context for further clinical insight.

Group members