Charles (Brad) Shuster
Title: Associate Professor
Research area: Regulation of mitosis and cytokinesis,
Role of the cytoskeleton during early development
Office location: FH 463
Laboratory Location: FH 430
Email Address: cshuster@nmsu.edu
Office Phone: 575-646-1325
Lab Webpage: http://biology-web.nmsu.edu/shuster-lab/
Education:
- Research Assistant Professor: Boston College
- Post-Doc: University of Pittsburgh
- Ph.D Tufts University
Research Interests:
My research interests focus on cell cycle regulation
of the cytoskeleton during early development. In particular, I am
focused on understanding the spatial and temporal regulation of
cytokinesis, the final phase of cell division. Successful timing and
execution of cytokinesis is an absolute requirement for the maintenance
of chromosomal ploidy and thus proper development and survival of the
organism. And while great progress has been made into our understanding
of cell cycle regulation and mitotic spindle assembly, we still know
little regarding how cells coordinate sister chromatid segregation
(nuclear division) with cytokinesis (cytoplasmic division). Toward
these ends, I have undertaken a multidisciplinary approach that uses
molecular, biochemical, and live cell analyses to examine contractile
ring formation in the sea urchin early embryo.
Cells contain molecular gatekeepers or checkpoints
that halt cell cycle progression in response to DNA damage or improper
mitotic spindle assembly, and recent data suggest that the mitotic
spindle checkpoint also regulates cytokinesis. However, it is unclear
in animal cells whether the initiation of cytokinesis is directly under
checkpoint control, or whether cytokinesis simply occurs by default
once the cell initiates the exit from mitosis. Current efforts are
focused on identifying sea urchin homologues of a pathway identified in
fission yeast that controls the initiation of cytokinesis, and is
responsive to the spindle checkpoint.
Selected Publications:
- Shuster, C.B., and D.R. Burgess. 2002. Targeted new membrane
addition in the cleavage furrow is a late, separate event in
cytokinesis. Proceedings of the National Academy of Sciences. In Press.
Shuster, C.B. and D.R. Burgess. 1999. Parameters that specify the timing of cytokinesis. Journal of Cell Biology 146: 981-992.
- Shuster, C.B. and I.M. Herman. 1998. The mechanics of vascular
cell motility. Microcirculation. 5: 239-57.
- Walker, G.R., C. B. Shuster, and D.R. Burgess. 1997.
Microtubule-entrained kinase activities associated with the cortical
cytoskeleton during cytokinesis. Journal of Cell Science. 110:1373-1386.
- Allen, P.G., C.B. Shuster, J. Kas, C. Chaponnier, P.A. Janmey,
and I.M. Herman. 1996. Phalloidin binding and rheological differences
among actin isoforms. Biochemistry. 35: 14062-14069.
- Shuster, C.B., A.Y. Lin, R. Nayak, and I.M. Herman. 1996. bcap73:
a novel b actin- specific binding protein. Cell Motility and the
Cytoskeleton. 35:175-187.
- Shuster, C. B. and I. M. Herman. 1995. Ezrin interactions with F-actin: isoform specificity and calcium sensitivity. Journal of Cell Biology. 128: 837-848.