The nucleus is the soul of the cell. The Wente lab's
aim is to understand, at the molecular level, the mechanism for highly selective, bidirectional exchange of macromolecules between the nucleus and cytoplasm. Nucleocytoplasmic trafficking is essential for eukaryotes, and transport is precisely regulated for transmitting signals during the cell cycle and developmental switches. Our strategy is to attack at the site of nuclear entry and exit, the nuclear pore complexes (NPCs). These large proteinaceous structures span the nuclear envelope and provide the only known portals for transport. We have also recently expanded our efforts to investigate a novel inositol polyphosphate kinase signaling pathway involved in mRNA export and vertebrate development.
The Wente Lab Team
We have three specific areas of interest:
- How do interactions between at least 30 different polypeptides result in a functional NPC architecture? We are using yeast genetic strategies coupled with GFP-tagged NPCs to identify assembly factors and to monitor NPC dynamics in vivo.
- What is the mechanism for transport receptor movement through NPCs in yeast and mammalian cells? By genetic, molecular and biochemical means, we are investigating interactions between NPC proteins and essential import and export receptors. Studies are focused on karyopherin movement, steps in mRNA export, and transport regulation.
- How does the second messenger inositol hexakisphosphate regulate mRNA export? We speculate that nuclear inositol signaling plays a key role in coordinating mRNA export and gene transcription responses to extracellular stimuli and intracellular cues. We are using yeast and mammalian systems to explore how stimuli faithfully trigger the correct synchrony between gene expression, DNA repair, and genome duplication to regulate cell growth survival.
Vanderbilt University is committed to principles of
equal opportunity and affirmative action.