Biology Department Faculty
Maitreyi Das
Associate Professor & Graduate Program Director
Department
Research
Our research employs broad interdisciplinary approaches in cell and molecular biology and genetics, with special expertise in quantitative live-cell imaging. We also collaborate closely with engineers and mathematicians to build predictive models of these regulatory mechanisms. The research in our lab is funded by the National Science Foundation (Molecular and Cellular Biosciences) and the National Institutes of Health/NIGMS. Following are the current projects in the lab.
Cells are highly efficient machines that operate with great precision to promote proliferation and function. The Das lab is interested in understanding the fundamentals of cell shape and cell division. These are complex processes that operate in an error-free manner thanks to intricate regulatory patterns that organize multi-step processes in time听and space. Studies from our lab as well as others have shown that these regulatory patterns involve self-organization of higher-order molecular networks. We explore these molecular networks using mainly the single-celled eukaryotic model system Schizosaccharomyces pombe, or fission yeast. Fission yeast cells have a well-defined shape and growth pattern, and divide by actomyosin-ring-dependent听cytokinesis, making it an excellent model system for our investigations.
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Publications
Denotes the following: 搂Graduate students, #Undergraduate students, 鈥燞igh School students
Preprint:
1. Onwubiko UN搂, Koory E#, Pokharel S#, Roberts H#, Mitoubsi A, Das M. 2022. Cdc42 prevents precocious Rho1 activation during cytokinesis in a Pak1-dependent manner. bioRxiv doi:10.1101/2022.06.14.496145
Peer-reviewed:
1. Campbell BF搂, Hercyk BS搂, Williams AR #, San Miguel ES #, Young HG #, Das ME. 2022. Cdc42 GTPase activating proteins Rga4 and Rga6 coordinate septum synthesis and membrane trafficking at the division plane during cytokinesis. Traffic, in Press, doi:10.1111/tra.12864.
2.听Rich-Robinson J搂, Russell A#, Mancini E鈥�, Das ME. 2021. Cdc42 reactivation at growth sites is regulated by cell-cycle-dependent loss of its GAP Rga4. Journal of Cell Science, in Press, doi: 10.1242/jcs.259291
Work Featured in:听Research highlights, Journal of Cell Science
3.听Rodriguez Pino M, Nu帽ez I, Chen C, Das ME, Wiley DJ, D鈥橴rso G, Buchwald P, Vavylonis D, Verde F. 2021. Cdc42 GTPase Activating Proteins (GAPs) Regulate Generational Inheritance of Cell Polarity and Cell Shape in Fission Yeast. Molecular Biology of the Cell, Jul 21, doi: 10.1091/mbc.E20-10-0666
4.听Onwubiko UN搂, Rich-Robinson J搂, Mustaf RA鈥�, Das ME. 2019. Cdc42 promotes Bgs1 recruitment for septum synthesis and glucanase localization for cell separation during cytokinesis in fission yeast. Small GTPases 2020, Mar 22:1-8.
5. Hercyk B搂, Rich J搂, Mitoubsi A, Harrell M, Das M. 2019. A novel interplay between GEFs orchestrates Cdc42 activation in cell polarity and cytokinesis. Journal of Cell Science 2019, 132:jcs236018-jcs236018.
Work Featured in: preLights, Company of Biologists.
6. Hercyk B搂 and Das M. 2019. F-BAR Cdc15 Promotes Gef1-mediated Cdc42 Activation During Cytokinesis and Cell Polarization in S. pombe. Genetics, 2019, 213 (4): 1341-1356.
7.听Hercyk B搂 and Das M. 2019. Rho Family GTPases in Fission Yeast Cytokinesis. Communicative and Integrative Biology, 12(1):171鈥�180. Published 2019 Oct 21.
8.听Hercyk B搂, Onwubiko UN搂, Das M. 2019. Coordinating Septum Formation and the Actomyosin Ring during Cytokinesis in Schizosaccharomyces pombe. Molecular Microbiology, 112(6):1645鈥�1657.
9.听Onwubiko UN搂, Mlynarczyk PJ搂, Wei B, Habiyaremye J#, Clack A#, Abel SM, Das ME. A Cdc42 GEF, Gef1, through endocytosis organizes F-BAR Cdc15 along the actomyosin ring and promotes concentric furrowing. Journal of Cell Science 2019 132: jcs223776 doi: 10.1242/jcs.223776 Published 28 February 2019.
Work Featured in: Editor鈥檚 highlight, Journal of Cell Science
10. Wei B, Hercyk BS搂, Habiyaremye J#, Das M. 2017. Spatiotemporal analysis of cytokinetic events in fission yeast. JoVE, 120.
11.听Nu帽ez I, Rodriguez Pino M, Wiley DJ, Das M, Chen C, Goshima T, Kume K, Hirata D, Toda T and Verde F. 2016. Spatial control of translation repression and polarized growth by conserved NDR kinase Orb6 and RNA-binding protein Sts5. eLife, pii:e14216.
12. Wei B, Hercyk BS搂, Mattson N, Mohammadi A#, Rich J#, DeBruyne E#, Clark MM#, Das M. 2016. Unique Spatiotemporal Activation Pattern of Cdc42 by Gef1 and Scd1 Promotes Different Events during Cytokinesis. Molecular Biology of the Cell. 27(8):1235-45.
Work Featured in: Molecular Biology of the Cell, American Society for Cell Biology newsletter.
13. Das M, Nu帽ez I, Rodriguez M, Wiley D J, Rodriguez J, Sarkeshik A, Yates III. J R, Buchwald P, and Verde F. 2015. 鈥淧hosphorylation-dependent inhibition of Cdc42 GEF Gef1 by 14-3-3 protein Rad24 spatially regulates Cdc42 GTPase activity and oscillatory dynamics during cell morphogenesis.鈥� Molecular Biology of the Cell, 26(19):3520-34.
14.听Das M, Verde F. 2013. 鈥淩ole of Cdc42 dynamics in the control of fission yeast cell polarization.鈥� Biochem Soc Trans. 41(6):1745-9.
15.听Das M*, Drake T*, Buchwald P, Vavylonis D and Verde F. 2012. 鈥淥scillatory dynamics of Cdc42 GTPase in the spatial control of polarized cell growth.鈥� Science, 2012, 337, 6091, 239-243. * Co-authors
Work Featured in: Editors鈥� Choice Cell Biology 鈥淧ole to Pole鈥� Sci. Signal.
Faculty of 1000 Biology
16. Das M, Chiron S and Verde F. 2010. 鈥淢icrotubule-dependent spatial organization of mitochondria in fission yeast.鈥� Methods in Cell Biology, 97, 203-21
17.听Das M, Wiley D J, Chen X, Shah K and Verde F. 2009. 鈥淐onserved NDR kinase Orb6 controls polarized cell growth by spatial regulation of the small GTPase Cdc42.鈥� Current Biology, 19, 1314-19.
Work Featured in: Faculty of 1000 Biology.
18.听Iyer R S, Das M and Bhat P J. 2008. 鈥淧seudohyphal differentiation defect due to mutations in GPCR and ammonium signaling is suppressed by low glucose concentration: A possible integrated role for Carbon and Nitrogen limitation.鈥� Current Genetics, 54, 71-81
19.听Das M*, Wiley D J*, Medina S, Vincent H, Larrea M, Oriolo A and Verde F. 2007. 鈥淩egulation of cell diameter, For3p localization and cell symmetry by fission yeast Rho-GAP Rga4p.鈥� Molecular Biology of the Cell, 18, 2090-101. * Co-authors
Work Featured in: InCytes in the June Issue of Molecular Biology of the Cell and American Society for Cell Biology newsletter.
20.听Das M and Bhat P J. 2005. 鈥淒isruption of MRG19 results in altered nitrogen metabolic status and defect in pseudohyphal development: Evidence for a link between metabolic status and developmental pathway.鈥� Microbiology, 151, 91-8
Work Featured in: Faculty of 1000 Biology.
21. Khanday F A, 鈥aha M and Bhat P J. 2002. 鈥淢olecular Characterization of MRG19 of Saccharomyces cerevisiae. Implication in the Regulation of Galactose and Nonfermentable Carbon Source Utilization.鈥� European Journal of Biochemistry, 269, 5840-50 (鈥aiden name)
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