Mark S. Mooseker, Ph.D.

Ross Granville Harrison Professor of Molecular, Cellular & Developmental Biology, Cell Biology, and Pathology Functional characterization of the myosin family of actin based motors.
Mooseker lab website Phone: (203) 432-3468 Lab: (203) 432-3469 Fax: (203) 432-6161 e-mail: mark.mooseker@yale.edu		Department of Molecular Cellular and Developmental Biology 219 Prospect Street PO Box 208103 New Haven, CT 06520-8103 <Courier Address> 219 Prospect Street, KBT 352 (Lab: KBT 342) New Haven, CT 06511-2106

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Molecular underpinnings of cytoskeletal structure, motility and assembly

Our laboratory pursues questions regarding the molecular and functional organization of the cell's cytoskeleton. Currently, research in our laboratory focuses on the myosin family of actin-based molecular motors.  This family consists of  more than 20  distinct classes of myosins.  The human genome contains nearly forty myosin genes, a number of which have been identified as targets for inherited diseases including immune deficiency, blindness, cardiomyopathy and deafness.  Myosins have been implicated in a wide range of cellular phenomena including cellular movements, organelle transport, mRNA transport,  endocytosis, mechanochemical gating of ion channels and signal transduction. We employ a multidisciplinary approach to investigating functions for various classes of myosins.  Studies include biophysical analyses of single motor molecules using state-of-the art light microscopic imaging techniques, dynamic imaging of myosins in living cells using  fluorescently tagged motors, biochemical and structural characterization of purified myosins, characterization of myosin –cargo (e.g. organelles) interactions and the molecular genetic and phenotypic characterization of  myosin mutations in mice and Drosophila.  

Recent publications

Osterweil, E, D. Wells, and M.S. Mooseker. 2005. A role for Myosin VI in postsynaptic structure and glutamate receptor endocytosis.  J. Cell Biol. 168:329-338.

Tyska, M.J., A. T. Mackey, J-D.Huang, N.G. Copeland, N. A. Jenkins and M. S. Mooseker. 2005. Myosin-1a is critical for normal brush border structure and composition . Mol.Biol. Cell. 16:  2443-57.

Krendel, M, and M. S. Mooseker. 2005.  Myosins:  Tails (and heads) of functional diversity. Physiology. 20:239-51.

Mermall, V. , N. Bonafe, L. Jones, J.R. Sellers, L. Cooley and M.S. Mooseker. 2005. Drosophila myosin V is required for larval development and spermatid individualization .  Dev. Biol. 286:233-55.

Shih, J.L., S.L. Reck-Peterson, R. Newitt, M.S. Mooseker, R. Aebersold, and I. Herskowitz. 2005. Cell Polarity Protein Spa2p Associates with Proteins Involved in Actin Function in Saccharomyces cerevisiae. Mol Biol Cell. 16(10):4595-608.

Kim, S.V., W.Z. Mehal, X. Dong, C. Heinrich, M. Dembo, M. S. Mooseker, D. Wu and R. A. Flavell.  2006.  Modulation of cell adhesion and motility in the immune system by Myosin If.  Science  314:136-9.

Olivares, A.O, W. Chang, M.S.. Mooseker, D.D. Hackney and E. M. De La Cruz. 2006.  The tail domain of Myosin Va modulates actin binding  to one head.  J. Biol. Chem.  281:31326-36.

O’Connell C.B., M. J. Tyska and M.S. Mooseker. 2007.  Myosin at Work:  Motor adaptations for a variety of cellular functions. Biochim. Biophys. Acta.  1773(5):615-30. epub. 7/06

Krendel, M., E. K. Osterweil and M. S. Mooseker. 2007.  Myosin IE interacts with synaptojanin-1 and dynamin and is involved in endocytosis. FEBS Lett. 581: 644-650.