Lab Research Interests. Research in the Yengo lab is focused on understanding the molecular basis of cellular processes involving molecular motor and cytoskeletal proteins. Motor proteins are molecular machines that can convert the energy from ATP hydrolysis into force and motion. Myosin consists of a large superfamily of actin-based motor proteins that are involved in a wide variety of cell motility processes such as muscle contraction, organelle transport, and cell division. Although myosin motors have a well conserved structural core, they display a variety of different biochemical and biophysical properties. Thus, small changes in structure appear to have profound effects on the motile and enzymatic properties of myosin motors. The long-term goal of my research program is to understand the basic mechanism of energy transduction used by all myosin motors and to determine how different members of the myosin superfamily have fine tuned their biochemical and biophysical properties to perform specific cellular functions.

Biophysical properties of myosin.  A combination of genetic engineering and fluorescence spectroscopic methods are used to examine dynamic structural changes in myosin. Examining specific conformational changes in myosin will reveal important details about the mechanism of force generation in myosins and allow for the discovery of novel drug therapies designed to modulate myosin motor activity.

 

Regulation of non-muscle myosins.   It is unclear how many non-muscle myosins are turned on and off in the cell. Another goal of my research is to characterizedifferent mechanisms of regulation of non-muscle myosins, including ligand-induced structural changes, phosphorylation-induced structural changes, and interactions with other regulatory proteins that affect the biophysical properties of myosin.

 

Impact of disease associated mutations on myosin structure-function. We are examining myosins associated with genetic disease such as cardiomyopathies and deafness. Our studies will reveal important insights into how disease associated mutations in myosin impact key structural changes in the actomyosin ATPase cycle and lead to specific disease phenotypes.

 

Physiology, Biomedical Sciences, Molecular Medicine, Cell and Developmental Biology, and Anatomy. 

 PH:  717/531-8575; e-mail:  cmy11@psu.edu

 PH Lab: 717/531-8997

Omar Quintero Ph.D., Assistant Professor – oaq100@psu.edu

 

William Unrath, Senior Lab Technician – wcu1@psu.edu

 

Darshan Trivedi, Physiology Program Graduate Student – dvt108@psu.edu

 

 

 

 

Mission: To provide a networking opportunity for researchers, teachers, and students interested in biophysics in the Central Pennsylvania Region. The meeting will provide an opportunity for you to meet other colleagues interested in biophysics in this region, learn about training programs in biophysics, and explore the biophysical research being conducted in Central Pennsylvania.

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10:00-11:00                 Check in and poster set up
11:00-11:15                 Introductory remarks and welcome

11:15-11:30                 Student Talk #1
11:30-11:45                Student Talk #2
11:45-1:00                   Lunch and Poster Session #1
1:00-1:15                     Student Talk #3
1:15-1:30                     Student Talk #4
1:30-2:30                     Poster Session #2
2:30-3:30                     Keynote Speaker – E. Michael Ostap, Ph.D., Director of Pennsylvania Muscle Institute, Professor of Physiology, University of Pennsylvania School of Medicine: "Biochemical, Mechanical, and Cellular Control of a Membrane-Associated Molecular Motor"

3:30-4:00                    Business Meeting and Future Plans