Ann M Rose

Research Interests:

The nematode Caenorhabditis elegans has many advantages as a model organism. The availability of the genomic sequence, along with powerful genetics, provides an excellent set of tools for tackling biological questions. My laboratory is investigating the organization of a gene encoding several forms of a protein protease that processes a number of proproteins, getting them “ready for work”. At least four different polypeptides are formed from the gene by alternative splicing. We are characterizing where and when these endoproteases express, and the substrates that they cleave. A second gene that we are studying is involved in determining the meiotic pattern of crossover events. The molecular nature of this gene product, and how it determines the positioning of meiotic exchange is under investigation. Thirdly, we have begun an analysis of genes involved in cell cycle control, specifically those that affect kinetochore function during the anaphase to metaphase transition. Finally, we are investigating the function of a C. elegans homologue for the huntington-interacting protein, hip-1.