We study the cellular roles of myosin motor proteins and how they mediate the organization of cellular compartments and control intracellular transport along actin filaments. One of our major aims is to understand the mechanism of cargo selection and to delineate the cellular roles of these motor-cargo complexes. We have a long-standing interest in myosin VI, a unique retrograde motor that functions in membrane trafficking pathways associated with protein secretion, endocytosis and autophagy. The loss of motor activity or mutations in its cargo adaptor proteins leads to a range of pathologies including gliosis in the brain, peripheral neuropathies, ALS and autophagy defects.
