Download Elucidating Novel Role of Glycogen-Synthase 3 Beta on

Elucidating Novel Role of Glycogen-Synthase 3 Beta on Regulation of Dynein Group Transport
Characteristics
Omid Vadpey
Mentor: Steven P. Gross
Cytoplasmic dynein is a minus-end directed microtubule motor protein that mediates many critical aspects of
biological processes including cell division, intracellular transport, chromosome dynamics, and nucleokinesis.
Reports have shown that the commonly expressed and multi-functional pathway mediated by Glycogen
Synthase Kinase-3 Beta (GSK3- β) has been shown to directly phosphorylate the intermediate chain of
dynein. Mutations in this pathway have led to abnormalities in central nervous system development,
indicating that this pathway may play a key role in mediating the functions of dynein and are critical to
understand. To address the role of this pathway, I studied in-vivo cargoes known as lipid droplets and
perturbed the kinase pathway using a strong small molecule protein inhibitor. The study showed a change in
overall mean dynein force production under a tugging optical trap system, indicating GSK3-Beta might serve
a direct role in the regulation of dynein characteristics during group transport of large organelles.