Congratulations to Dr. Jian-Qiu Wu, whose grant entitled "Molecular mechanisms of cytokinesis and plasma membrane repair" was recently funded by the NIH.

Cytokinesis (the last step of cell-division cycle) and plasma membrane wound repair are two fundamental and related cellular processes. Both processes require cytoskeleton remodeling, organelle partitioning/repositioning, and enhanced membrane dynamics to maintain cell integrity and sustain cell survival. Cytokinesis is essential for cell proliferation, cell differentiation, embryo development, and tissue homeostasis. Cytokinesis defects/failure can lead to cancer and birth defects. Plasma membrane repair (PMR) after damage is a ubiquitous but understudied cellular process. The plasma membrane is frequently damaged by extracellular or intracellular stresses, even by normal cardiac and skeletal muscle contraction. Defects in PMR can lead to inflammation, muscular dystrophy, heart failure, neurodegeneration, and aging.

The 5-year MIRA/R35 award will enable the Wu lab to use genetic, cellular, imaging, biochemical, structural, and computational approaches to: 1) Investigate how exocytosis and endocytosis coordinate with the actomyosin contractile ring and septin rings for plasma membrane deposition and extracellular matrix formation during cytokinesis; 2) Elucidate how biomolecular condensates contribute to PMR; 3) Map out the spatial and temporal pathways of PMR. Completion of these proposed projects will provide novel insights into the fundamental mechanisms of cytokinesis and PMR, and how these mechanisms can be harnessed to improve human health.

Congratulations!