The Burrus lab is particularly interested in Wnt signaling proteins, which are critically important for embryogenesis and homeostasis. Disruption of Wnt signaling leads to developmental defects and diseases, such as cancer. The goal of our lab is to understand the molecular machinery involved in the production of Wnt proteins in
"talking" cells as well as the transport of Wnt proteins to "listening" cells. So far, we understand that Wnts are translocated into the endoplasmic reticulum during translation. There, they undergo a critically important post-translational modification called palmitoylation. This modification anchors Wnt proteins the membrane bilayer.
After palmitoylation, Wnts are carried to the surface by a cargo transporter (another protein) called Wntless (WLS).
For many years, it was presumed that Wnt signals spread from "talking" cells to
"istening" cells by diffusion of secreted Wnt proteins away from the site of production.
However, this model is not consistent with the observation that Wnts are anchored in the membrane bilayer. Recently, data from a number of labs, including our own, suggest a new model in which Wnts are transported to target cells via long filopodia.
However, the role of these filopodia in both embryogenesis and oncogenesis remains poorly understood. The Burrus lab is currently using the techniques of cell, developmental and molecular biology as well as biochemistry to study the roles that filopodia play in Wnt signaling in vertebrate embryos and in triple negative breast cancer cells
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Contact
Email: biology@sfsu.edu
Phone: 4153387680