Organelle Signposts
With Dr. Sarah Cohen
Organelles don’t have GPS.
From the lab of Dr. Sarah Cohen
Organelles move around eukaryotic cells as they carry out specific functions. But how do they know where they need to go? Dr. Cohen’s research on neuron development has her looking into organelle travel.
Using ZEISS superresolution microscopy, Dr. Cohen’s lab observed that three key chemical reactions in the microtubules serve a larger role than previously thought. These reactions, known as the tubulin code, act like signposts for traveling organelles. And in cases where these signposts malfunction, stem cells and neurons are impacted.
This could be an important contributing factor in diseases like ALS and Alzheimer’s. Dr. Cohen believes that it may reveal new approaches for the prevention and treatment of these debilitating conditions.
Microtubules up close
Within a colony of human induced pluripotent stem cells, microtubules are labeled to reveal post-translational modifications.
Mitosis in action
In a colony of human induced pluripotent stem cells, higher magnification shows two cells undergoing mitosis.
Microtubule modifications
Here we see IPSC-derived cortical neurons labeled to reveal microtubule post-translational modifications.
“It’s an amazing time to be a cell biologist. The recent explosion of microscopy techniques makes me feel like a kid in a candy store.”
Dr. Sarah Cohen uses multicolor and superresolution microscopy to study how cellular organelles reorganize in response to developmental and environmental cues, and how this goes awry in metabolic and neurodegenerative diseases.
Experience more breakthroughs and download Dr. Sarah Cohen’s full research report.
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