Dr Eric Lambie

Research summary

The regulated transport of small molecules across biological membranes is essential for the establishment and maintenance of cellular sub-compartments that differ in terms of pH, metal ion concentrations, and metabolite pools.  Thus, mutation of a gene that encodes a transporter protein often leads to pleiotropic defects in cell function, if not outright cell death.  We are using C. elegans as a  model system to study the function and regulation of evolutionarily-conserved P-type transporter proteins. In humans, mutations in these genes lead to neurodegenerative disease, whereas in nematodes we have characterized phenotypic signatures associated with defects in specific transporter proteins. For example, we have recently discovered that mutations in the P5B ATPases lead to defects in polyamine homeostasis. We are currently developing optogenetic tools that we can use to study the function and regulation of P5B ATPases at subcellular resolution within living animals.

Publications

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