Structural Biology of Cell Adhesion and Signaling

Our group aims at understanding the structural basis of molecular mechanisms that underline cell adhesion and cell signaling processes, whose misregulation is linked to diseases including cancer and skin disorders. We are especially interested in determining the mechanisms of molecular recognition between proteins. Active areas of investigation include the integrin family of cell adhesion receptors, the plakin family of cytoskeletal-linkers, and their role in adhesion complexes such as hemidesmosomes. We also study the mechanisms of regulation of C3G, a guanine nucleotide exchange factor of small GTPases. Finally, we apply our structural and mechanistic information to identify compounds that target protein-protein interactions and have potential therapeutic application. We use interdisciplinary approaches that combine structural biology methods, such as X-ray crystallography and small angle x-ray scattering, as well as biophysical, biochemical and cellular biological methods.