Exciting Discoveries
Department of Cell & Developmental Biology
We highlight research articles on our website to keep you informed about the latest advancements and exciting discoveries from our amazing scientists within the basic science departments at CU Anschutz Medical Campus.
By showcasing our cutting-edge research, we hope to spark curiosity, promote understanding, and inspire engagement with science and innovation. Our goal is to empower you with knowledge that can inform decision-making, foster critical thinking, and contribute to a better understanding of what we do here in the research labs at the University of Colorado Anschutz.
2025
Dr. Michael McMurray and his research team study how multi-subunit protein structures, called assemblies, are built and come together inside cells. Every cell in every living thing on the planet relies on protein assemblies to carry out essential processes to survive and function. It’s true!
Imagine that every multi-subunit protein assembly is made of many different Lego pieces where each Lego piece represents a different subunit of the protein. To create a functional protein, you have to connect all of the pieces together in the right order and in the right configuration or shape. If you’re missing a piece or the pieces aren’t connected in the right way, the protein structure won’t work properly or might not work at all!
Michael and his research team are dedicated to learning how these multi-subunit protein assemblies are built inside cells. The information they learn will provide important information about cellular biology that can be applied across many living organisms, including humans.
Dr. Michael McMurray and his research team published a science review article in the journal of Open Biology in January 2025 titled, ‘Stepwise order in protein complex assembly: approaches and emerging themes.’
To gain a better understanding of the research in this article, please read the easy-to-understand summary below.
Stepwise order in protein complex assembly: approaches and emerging themes
Proteins act like tiny machines that keep our cells working and running smoothly. Recently, scientists have gotten much better at seeing what the tiny protein machines look like and how they work but they still don’t know exactly how they are built inside the cell. In this review paper, Michael and his research team describe the methods used to study the order in which the protein subunits that make up the tiny machines come together or are assembled inside cells. They take a closer look at the methods used to study the assembly of the multi-subunit proteins and use examples of proteins that are common to all cells including septin protein complexes (their favorite complex to study) and histone octamers, which are a bundle of eight proteins that DNA gets wrapped around to organize itself and save space inside the cell. By working on these research questions, the McMurray team moved this important area of research forward by pointing out common and unique features that can be applied to the assembly of many other multi-subunit proteins.
2024
Dr. Yunsik Kang studies how the nervous system develops. The nervous system is the body’s communication network between the brain, spinal cord and nerves. It controls everything you do, from breathing and moving to thinking and feeling. The brain, spinal cord and nerves work together to send messages between different parts of the body and the brain.
Yunsik and his team are on a quest to learn how certain cells in the nervous system work together to build, sculpt and remodel neural connections during development to produce the perfectly sculpted product – the mature brain. To learn about this important process, Yunsik and his team study the developing nervous system in fruit flies (scientific name Drosophila melanogaster) during a phase called ‘metamorphosis’ during which the nervous system is undergoing massive changes. They hope to uncover the molecular mechanisms of neuronal remodeling during development to better understand how it works when functioning properly. They will then use this information to better understand what goes wrong and how certain defects in this process could be linked to neurodevelopmental disorders such as autism and schizophrenia.
Dr. Yunsik Kang and the Freeman research team published a pre-print science article in the journal of BioRxiv in November 2023 titled, ‘Tweek-dependent formation of ER-PM contact sites enables astrocyte phagocytic function and remodeling of neurons.’
To gain a better understanding of the research in this article, please read the easy-to-understand summary below.
Did you know that during development our nervous system’s start out with an overabundance of brain cells, called neurons, and neuronal connections? It’s true! During nervous system development, just like an artist creating a sculpture, excess brain cells and connections must be carved away to create the brain. This process of ‘sculpting’ the brain during development is called neuronal remodeling and it can lead to a lot of cellular waste from the parts of the brain that are carved away during development.
Through studying the developing nervous system of fruit flies (Drosophila) during the transformation from larva to adult in fruit flies, Yunsik found that a brain cell called an astrocyte takes on the ability to consume broken down nerve connections and cellular debris. You can think of the astrocyte as the cell that cleans up all the fragments that are removed or carved away during the sculpting process. They also found a protein called Tweek that becomes more active in astrocytes during this process. Tweek is essential for these cells to efficiently clear the waste. It seems that Tweek works by helping to connect two parts of the cell, the endoplasmic reticulum (ER) and the plasma membrane (PM), which is critical to the process. Without Tweek, this connection is disrupted, leading to problems. Similar issues happen in humans with mutations in the human version of Tweek, which is linked to Alkuraya-Kucinskas syndrome, a severe neurodevelopmental disorder. Tweek seems to play a vital role in maintaining important cell connections and ensuring astrocytes can effectively clean up neuronal waste during neuronal development. This type of research could be used to better understand what goes wrong in neurodevelopmental disorders, such as autism and schizophrenia, and provide opportunities for developing effective therapies in the future.
2022
Dr. Jeffrey Moore studies a particular structure inside the cell called a microtubule. To begin to understand what a microtubule is, imagine the inside of a cell is like a large and crowded metropolitan city (think New York City) where a wide variety of activities are taking place each day. People need to move around the city to attend school, get to work, shop at the grocery store or dine out at a restaurant. In order for every activity to happen, the people in the city need to find their way to the right location. They rely on city planning elements, such as public transportation, highways and traffic signals to help them reach their destination.
The same thing happens in our cells every day all day long. Microtubules are like a system of highways inside the cell that help to organize and coordinate the movement of everything inside the cell.
The Moore research team studies how cells use the microtubule highway system to keep all of the organelles, proteins and important molecules in the correct location to keep the cell healthy and functioning. They study different types of cells in their experiments, from rat neurons to human cancer cells to a yeast called Saccharomyces cerevisiae. Combined with advanced microscopy and protein studies, the Moore lab is learning about how the microtubule network organizes the contents within the cell and how problems can cause diseases in humans.
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Dr. Jeffrey Moore and his research team published a science article in the journal of eLife in May 2022 titled, ‘TUBA1A tubulinopathy mutants disrupt neuron morphogenesis and override XMAP215/Stu2 regulation of microtubule dynamics.’
To gain a better understanding of the research in this article, please read the easy-to-understand summary below.
Have you ever wondered how the brain – that amazing and complex organ that controls everything that happens in the rest of the body – is made during development? You’re not alone! Jeff Moore and his research team think about this question every day!
During development, a billion different events have to happen at the right time and in the right way for the brain to form properly. Mutations or changes in certain genes can cause problems with proper brain formation. These types of problems are called brain malformations or, if you want to use the fancy scientific term, tubulinopathies.
The brain is a highly folded organ with lots of ridges and grooves that increase the surface area to enhance its storage and processing power. You can think of surface area as the total space covering all the folds and wrinkles in the brain. Making lots of folds allows the brain to fit more cells into a smaller space, just like folding a big sheet of paper over and over again allows us to make small objects – like origami cranes – that fit into small spaces.
Jeff and his team are trying to understand how certain mutations or changes in genes play a role in brain development. In this paper, they studied two specific mutations to the TUBA1A gene, which is found in human patients with different brain malformations. One mutation of TUBA1A is associated with pachygyria, a disease where the brain develops few ridges that appear to be broad and flat. The second TUBA1A mutation is linked to lissencephaly, a more severe condition in which the brain develops no ridges at all and is smooth.
Through studying mice with these mutated genes, they discovered that normal brain cell movement and growth is disrupted and doesn’t happen. This disruption is linked to changes in the structure and behavior of an important structure in the cell called a microtubule. Microtubules are like a network of strings inside the cell that help the cell move and keep its shape. By studying these mutations, the Moore team discovered that the microtubules grow out of control and don’t let other proteins regulate them anymore.
This research shows us that mutations in genes, like TUBA1A, that affect microtubule regulation can impact brain cell development and movement. This type of research could be used to better understand what goes wrong in neurodevelopmental disorders, such as pachygyria and lissencephaly, and provide opportunities for developing effective therapies in the future.