University of Virginia
Department of Microbiology
1300 Jefferson Park Avenue
Room 2-25 Jordan Hall
Charlottesville, VA 22908
Phone: 434-924-5341 (lab)
FAX: 434-982-0689
email: avk4n@virginia.edu

Research:

I'm currently involved in a project directed to understand the function and role of the eukaryotic protein Cortactin. Cortactin has been identified as a major phosphorylation product of Src tyrosine kinase in v-Src transformed cells. Cortactin phosphorylation occurs as a result of the activation of receptor tyrosine kinases, ligation of adhesion proteins, as well as by oncogenic transformation. The cortactin gene is amplified and overexpressed in several human cancers. There is some evidence indicating that cortactin could potentially regulate interaction of the actin cytoskeleton with transmembrane receptors and membrane associated protein complexes. My research goal is to understand the molecular basis for how cortactin links selected proteins and/or protein complexes to the actin cytoskeleton and to determine the functional importance of such linkages for cellular processes.

Relevant Publications:

Liu Y, Loijens JC, Martin KH, Karginov AV, Parsons JT. The Association of ASAP1, an ADP Ribosylation Factor-GTPase Activating Protein, with Focal Adhesion Kinase Contributes to the Process of Focal Adhesion Assembly. Mol Biol Cell. 2002 Jun;13(6):2147-56

Weaver AM, Karginov AV, Kinley AW, Weed SA, Li Y, Parsons JT, Cooper JA. Cortactin promotes and stabilizes Arp2/3-induced actin filament network formation. Curr Biol. 2001 Mar 6;11(5):370-4.

Weed SA, Karginov AV, Schafer DA, Weaver AM, Kinley AW, Cooper JA, Parsons JT.
Cortactin localization to sites of actin assembly in lamellipodia requires interactions with F-actin and the Arp2/3 complex. J Cell Biol. 2000 Oct 2;151(1):29-40.