The focus of research in our facility is in studying the mechanisms underlying cell signalling, gene regulation and trafficking. The Sharrocks laboratory takes a multidisciplinary approach to investigate how extracellular signals are transduced into nuclear responses at the transcriptional level in normal and cancer cells. In particular this lab is interested in the Ras/ERK MAP kinase signalling pathway and it transcription factor targets. In connection with this, the dynamics of protein modification by SUMO is also being studied in the presence and absence of signalling. Two different types of RNAi screen are being performed. The first involves a GFP-based reporter system to monitor cell differentiation downstream of the Ras/ERK MAP kinase pathway. The second screen involves a specific transcription factor and a luciferase based reporter system, to pinpoint specific regulators that act through a single ERK-regulated transcription factor. Together, these screens are designed to identify coactivator/corepressor proteins and other regulators of transcription factor activity and more generally novel mediators of the effects of Ras/ERK MAP kinase pathway signalling.
Allan’s research centres on microtubule motor proteins: their regulation, diversity and function, both in healthy cells and how their misfunction may contribute to disease. Microtubules and their associated motor proteins play a variety of vital roles in orchestrating many processes within higher eukaryotes, such as membrane traffic and cell division. A major challenge is to understand how the cell co-ordinates and regulates all aspects of microtubule-based movement, both temporally and spatially. Allan’s group uses a wide range of cell biological techniques to address these questions. For example, the reconstitution of microtubule-based movement in cell-free systems provides a powerful approach for analysing the components involved. To complement these in vitro studies, organelle movement is visualised in living cells and analysed using automated particle tracking. This approach allows the role of potential motors and their regulators in the motility of specific organelles to be investigated. Finally, a systematic RNAi approach is being used to identify protein kinases that are involved in controlling the position of two organelles that are transported bi-directionally along microtubules, namely lysosomes and mitochondria.
Faculty of Life Sciences website: http://www.ls.manchester.ac.uk/
Contact Information:
Prof. Andrew D Sharrocks
Faculty of Life Sciences
The Michael Smith Building
University of Manchester
Oxford Road
Manchester M13 9PT
Tel. (44) 0161 275 5979
Fax: (44) 0161 275 5082
Email
Viki Allan
Professor of Cell Biology
Faculty of Life Sciences
University of Manchester
The Michael Smith Building
Oxford Road
Manchester M13 9PT
Tel. (44) 161 275 5646
Fax (44) 161 275 5082
Email
Dr. Andrew Hayes
Facility Manager
Genomic Technologies Core Facility
Faculty of Life Sciences
The Michael Smith Building
University of Manchester
Oxford Road
Manchester M13 9PT
Tel. (44) 0161 275 1589
Email