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Ahna Skop

Assistant Professor of Genetics

Lab Home Page:

Skop Lab

Address:

2426 Genetics/Biotech

Telephone:

262-1593

Email:

skop@wisc.edu

Research Fields:

C. elegans

Genomics

Molecular Genetics

Research Interests

Cytokinesis and cell cycle proteomics

Research Description

Cell division is required for the propagation of all living things. A critical phase of cell division occurs just after segregation of the duplicated genome, when the chromosomes, cytoplasm and organelles are partitioned to two daughter cells in a process termed cytokinesis. In animal cells, cytokinesis is driven by a cortical contraction that physically pinches the cell into two, and requires coordination of the mitotic spindle, actin cytoskeleton and plasma membrane. Failures in cytokinesis can cause cell death and age-related disorders, or lead to a genome amplification characteristic of many cancers. Although cytokinesis has been studied for over 125 years, little is known about the molecular factors and mechanisms involved. We are particularly interested in understanding how the cleavage furrow is established, how the completion of cytokinesis is achieved and what roles the spindle midzone and midbody play in cell division. My laboratory integrates multiple approaches in both mammalian and C. elegans systems to identify and characterize conserved factors, taking advantage of proteomics, functional genomics, genetics, cell biology and video-microscopy techniques. We are currently focusing on characterizing the function of several membrane-cytoskeletal proteins identified by proteomic analysis of the mammalian midbody in both C. elegans and mammalian systems.

Representative Publications

• Skop, A.R., Liu, H., Yates, J., Meyer, B.J. and Heald, R. 2004. Dissection of the mammalian midbody proteome reveals conserved cytokinesis mechanisms. Science 305(5680):61-6.
• Skop AR, Liu H, Yates J 3rd, Meyer BJ, Heald R. (2004). Dissection of the mammalian midbody proteome reveals conserved cytokinesis mechanisms. Science. Jul 2;305(5680):61-6.
• Thompson, H.*, Skop, A.R.*, Euteneur, U, and McNiven, M. (2002). The Large GTPase Dynamin Associates with the Spindle Midzone and is required for Cytokinesis. Current Biology, Vol 12, 2111-2117 (*authors contributed equally)
• Skop, A. R., Bergmann, D., Mohler, W..A., White, J. G. (2001). Completion of cytokinesis in C. elegans requires a brefeldin A-sensitive membrane accumulation at the cleavage furrow apex. Current Biology, May 15; 11(10):735-46.
• Skop, A. R. and White, J. G. (1998). The Dynactin Complex is Required for Cleavage Plane Specification in Early Caenorhabditis elegans embryos. Current Biology Vol. 8, No. 20, p. 1110-1116.