The Wordeman lab studies an unusual class of Kinesin-related Motor proteins: the Kinesin-13 Family or Microtubule Depolymerizing Kinesins. This family comprises 3 unique genes in mammals: Kif2A, Kif2B and Kif2C/MCAK or Mitotic Centromere Associated Kinesin. Our research ranges from structural and molecular mutational analysis, in vitro live imaging to cellular and developmental behavior especially during cell division. The big picture is to understand how microtubule behavior is regulated to modulate cell shape, cell division and cell motility.

A Mitotic HeLa cell expressing GFP-MCAK which has been mutated by Yulia Ovechkina to be inactive with respect to microtubule depolymerization. The advantage of the mutant form is that it gives us a rough idea of the localization of the protein during mitosis without interfering with microtubule dynamics or cell division at low levels of expression. This movie* was made in collaboration with George von Dassow at the Center for Cell Dynamics at Friday Harbor Labs.

*Journal of Cell Biology (2005) 169:391-397.