My lab is interested in understanding intracellular trafficking and cell signaling of specific membrane receptors, combining aspects of Cell Biology, Immunology , Biochemistry and Molecular Biology.
Structure and function of the antigen receptor on B lymphocytes: The B cell receptor is composed of membrane immunoglobulin M (mIgM) and a heterodimer of two associated proteins, Ig-alpha and Ig- beta. When the receptor is on the cell surface of B lymphocytes it functions to transmit intracellular signals that regulate cell growth and differentiation and it binds to antigen for the generation of the immune response. We are studying what regulates the association between the chains of the receptor and the intracellular trafficking of the receptor to the cell surface. In addition we are interested in how the B cell receptor interacts with components of the intracellular signaling machinery, in particular protein tyrosine kinases, phosphatases and other associated proteins.
