Professor
Cell and Tissue Biology
+1 415 476-2603
The Wittmann Lab is interested in the mechanisms by which the microtubule cytoskeleton controls complex cell behaviors such as polarity, migration, and division. Specifically, we are analyzing the function and phosphoregulation of +TIPs, a diverse group of proteins that can specifically bind to the ends of growing microtubules, and are essential to link dynamic microtubule ends to other intracellular structures. We are employing high end fluorescent imaging methods, and are also developing novel tools to manipulate intracellular protein activities.
Publications
Quantitative comparison of fluorescent proteins using protein nanocages in live cells.
Journal of cell science
Doublecortin reinforces microtubules to promote growth cone advance in soft environments.
Current biology : CB
G3BP isoforms differentially affect stress granule assembly and gene expression during cellular stress.
Molecular biology of the cell
Quantitative Comparison of Monomeric StayGold Variants Using Protein Nanocages in Living Cells.
bioRxiv : the preprint server for biology
Doublecortin reinforces microtubules to promote growth cone advance in soft environments.
bioRxiv : the preprint server for biology
Protein-protein interactions with G3BPs drive stress granule condensation and gene expression changes under cellular stress.
bioRxiv : the preprint server for biology
Growth cone advance requires EB1 as revealed by genomic replacement with a light-sensitive variant.
eLife
The E3 ligase TRIM1 ubiquitinates LRRK2 and controls its localization, degradation, and toxicity.
The Journal of cell biology
Optogenetic EB1 inactivation shortens metaphase spindles by disrupting cortical force-producing interactions with astral microtubules.
Current biology : CB
Controlling Cell Shape and Microtubule Organization by Extracellular Matrix Micropatterning.
Methods in molecular biology (Clifton, N.J.)
pHLARE: A New Biosensor Reveals Decreased Lysosome pH in Cancer Cells.
Molecular biology of the cell
Lights, cytoskeleton, action: Optogenetic control of cell dynamics.
Current opinion in cell biology
Optogenetic Control of Microtubule Dynamics.
Methods in molecular biology (Clifton, N.J.)
Tau repeat regions contain conserved histidine residues that modulate microtubule-binding in response to changes in pH.
The Journal of biological chemistry
Microtubule Plus End Dynamics - Do We Know How Microtubules Grow?: Cells boost microtubule growth by promoting distinct structural transitions at growing microtubule ends.
BioEssays : news and reviews in molecular, cellular and developmental biology
Local control of intracellular microtubule dynamics by EB1 photodissociation.
Nature cell biology
The glycolytic enzyme phosphofructokinase-1 assembles into filaments.
The Journal of cell biology
GSK3-mediated CLASP2 phosphorylation modulates kinetochore dynamics.
Journal of cell science
Autophagy in adhesion and migration.
Journal of cell science
Abstract 243: Investigating microtubule growth dynamics in patient-derived metastatic prostate cancer cells.
Experimental and Molecular Therapeutics
Doublecortin Is Excluded from Growing Microtubule Ends and Recognizes the GDP-Microtubule Lattice.
Current biology : CB
NBR1 enables autophagy-dependent focal adhesion turnover.
The Journal of cell biology
Migration of Founder Epithelial Cells Drives Proper Molar Tooth Positioning and Morphogenesis.
Developmental cell
Enzymatically Generated CRISPR Libraries for Genome Labeling and Screening.
Developmental cell
Acetylcholine receptor (AChR) clustering is regulated both by glycogen synthase kinase 3ß (GSK3ß)-dependent phosphorylation and the level of CLIP-associated protein 2 (CLASP2) mediating the capture of microtubule plus-ends.
The Journal of biological chemistry
CLASPs link focal-adhesion-associated microtubule capture to localized exocytosis and adhesion site turnover.
Nature cell biology
Host cell polarity proteins participate in innate immunity to Pseudomonas aeruginosa infection.
Cell host & microbe
Expression of an expanded CGG-repeat RNA in a single pair of primary sensory neurons impairs olfactory adaptation in Caenorhabditis elegans.
Human molecular genetics
Analysis of focal adhesion turnover: a quantitative live-cell imaging example.
Methods in cell biology
Concepts in quantitative fluorescence microscopy.
Methods in cell biology
Fluorescence live cell imaging.
Methods in cell biology
Quantitative imaging in cell biology. Preface.
Methods in cell biology
LIS1 controls mitosis and mitotic spindle organization via the LIS1-NDEL1-dynein complex.
Human molecular genetics
Host microtubule plus-end binding protein CLASP1 influences sequential steps in the Trypanosoma cruzi infection process.
Cellular microbiology
Targeting and transport: how microtubules control focal adhesion dynamics.
The Journal of cell biology
+TIPs: SxIPping along microtubule ends.
Trends in cell biology
EB1-recruited microtubule +TIP complexes coordinate protrusion dynamics during 3D epithelial remodeling.
Current biology : CB
Multisite phosphorylation disrupts arginine-glutamate salt bridge networks required for binding of cytoplasmic linker-associated protein 2 (CLASP2) to end-binding protein 1 (EB1).
The Journal of biological chemistry
Imaging intracellular protein dynamics by spinning disk confocal microscopy.
Methods in enzymology
Dynamic actin remodeling during epithelial-mesenchymal transition depends on increased moesin expression.
Molecular biology of the cell
Chlamydia trachomatis co-opts GBF1 and CERT to acquire host sphingomyelin for distinct roles during intracellular development.
PLoS pathogens
Analysis of microtubule polymerization dynamics in live cells.
Methods in cell biology
GSK3beta phosphorylation modulates CLASP-microtubule association and lamella microtubule attachment.
The Journal of cell biology
EBs clip CLIPs to growing microtubule ends.
The Journal of cell biology
Cofilin activity downstream of Pak1 regulates cell protrusion efficiency by organizing lamellipodium and lamella actin networks.
Developmental cell
Adenomatous polyposis coli on microtubule plus ends in cell extensions can promote microtubule net growth with or without EB1.
Molecular biology of the cell
Spatial regulation of CLASP affinity for microtubules by Rac1 and GSK3beta in migrating epithelial cells.
The Journal of cell biology
Microtubule cytoskeleton: a new twist at the end.
Current biology : CB
Eg5 causes elongation of meiotic spindles when flux-associated microtubule depolymerization is blocked.
Current biology : CB
Characterization of the TPX2 domains involved in microtubule nucleation and spindle assembly in Xenopus egg extracts.
Molecular biology of the cell
Regulation of microtubule destabilizing activity of Op18/stathmin downstream of Rac1.
The Journal of biological chemistry
Regulation of leading edge microtubule and actin dynamics downstream of Rac1.
The Journal of cell biology
A high-speed multispectral spinning-disk confocal microscope system for fluorescent speckle microscopy of living cells.
Methods (San Diego, Calif.)
Toward reconstitution of in vivo microtubule dynamics in vitro.
BioEssays : news and reviews in molecular, cellular and developmental biology
Cell motility: can Rho GTPases and microtubules point the way?
Journal of cell science
The spindle: a dynamic assembly of microtubules and motors.
Nature cell biology
TPX2, A novel xenopus MAP involved in spindle pole organization.
The Journal of cell biology
Motor proteins regulate force interactions between microtubules and microfilaments in the axon.
Nature cell biology
Recombinant p50/dynamitin as a tool to examine the role of dynactin in intracellular processes.
Methods in cell biology
Localization of the kinesin-like protein Xklp2 to spindle poles requires a leucine zipper, a microtubule-associated protein, and dynein.
The Journal of cell biology
Purification and characterization of full-length mammalian poly(A) polymerase.
Biochimica et biophysica acta