The Big Picture

I study how non-muscle myosins are regulated by actin architecture

 Actomyosin contractility drives dynamic processes in cells, such as cell division, migration, and tissue morphogenesis. In these events, bipolar filaments of non-muscle myosins contract and remodel actin networks by exerting forces on actin filaments. Multiple factors are known to regulate myosin, but it is largely unclear whether actin plays a role. I am currently working on understanding whether non-muscle myosin filament assembly is regulated by actin architecture, e.g. branched network versus bundles. My approach is to reconstitute a minimal actomyosin system in vitro, controlling actin structures by different actin-binding proteins and observing myosin filament assembly.