The primary focus of our laboratory
is Neuronal Cell Biology. We are currently exploring mechanisms of axonal transport
and post-translational modification of macromolecules within cells. One problem
concerns the role of phosphorylation in controlling the assembly and stabilization
of cytoskeletal organelles. We have shown that a microtubule-associated protein
normally concentrated in the axon of neurons is a major constituent of pathological
inclusions found in the cell bodies of affected neurons in Alzheimer's and other
neurodegenerative diseases. The protein appears to be modified in the disease
state, and we are currently testing the functional properties of the modified
protein. Other studies are concerned with properties of tyrosine kinase systems
found in microglia with emphasis on substrates phosphorylated in response to injury.