Microtubule dynamics in health and disease

Microtubule (MT) nucleation, the event that initiates de novo formation of MTs, is a highly regulated process that enables cells to acquire specific architectures and to promptly respond to any cellular change. The centrosome and the Golgi Apparatus (GA) are the two major MT-organising centres (MTOCs) in cells, and increasing evidence underpins the idea that there is a high degree of coordination and crosstalk between their activities along the cell cycle and during cell differentiation. The main focus of my lab is to unveil the mechanisms underlying MT nucleation driven by the GA and the centrosome, as well as to explore the existence of alternative pathways relying on other MTOCs such as acentriolar MTOCs. We aim to thoroughly unravel how all these MTOCs work in concert to mediate organelle positioning, intracellular transport, cell polarity, motility, and chromosome segregation during cell division.