Giet lab:Research

During mitotic entry, the spatial and temporal regulation of the microtubule network is crucial for mitotic spindle assembly and cell division. Defects in spindle assembly are detected by the “spindle assembly checkpoint” (SAC) that remains active in case of defective attachment of microtubules to the kinetochores. During interphase, the microtubule network also plays key roles as it orchestrates intracellular transport, a process required for polarity and morphogenesis. It is thus of crucial importance to understand how microtubule dynamics and polarised transport are regulated and coordinated to regulate cell division and morphogenesis. Our main project is to identify key components of the microtubule network (Microtubule-Associated Proteins, MAPs) by combination of biochemistry and proteomics. We propose to analyse the contribution of these MAPs for SAC activation, as well as their roles in morphogenesis using Drosophila melanogaster, a model system in which we can screen for genes required for these 2 processes.