Adrienne A. Rogalski-Wilk, Ph.D.

Research

Our laboratory has had a long standing interest in understanding the molecular basis of how actin microfilaments bind to cell membranes. We are presently focused on discovering how actin filaments assume specific associations with the plasma membrane at cell cortex domains other than the leading edge. An important cortical actin domain of this type involves caveolae-rich plasma membrane regions restricted to the lateral edge domains of motile cells. In interphase cells, these lateral edge actin-rich, membrane cortex regions are active in cell processes of endocytosis- clathrin and nonclathrin-coated mediated, cell surface recycling and signal transduction. Here caveolae are either aligned with or intercalated between prominent, lateral-oriented actin bundles, but the underlying molecular nature of these interactions are unclear. We have hypothesized that at caveolae-rich plasma membrane regions there are unique membrane-actin associations.