Organelle Homeostasis in Metabolism
Organelle Homeostasis in Metabolism
Organelles are mini-organs and carry out compartmentalized and specific functions inside cells. We are particularly focused on the endoplasmic reticulum and its metabolic biology and how it interacts and coordinates the function of other organelles such as mitochondria. Under this umbrella, we explore the requirements to maintain organelle integrity and function in two broad pillars. First, we investigate the molecular subcellular architecture of the cells, which we see as a new frontier in metabolic homeostasis and how theses structural changes relate to its function. Second, we explore organelle dysfunction and the generation of stress and inflammatory responses that set the stage for metabolic disease.
The Endoplasmic Reticulum Function and Molecular Guardians of Metabolic Biology
The ER is a central organelle for protein synthesis and protein folding in the cell, and as such, is key to the maintenance of cellular homeostasis. The ER is also equipped with metabolic adaptive responses to maintain homeostasis which include but not limited to the unfolded protein response (UPR). We explore the metabolic biology of the ER through novel molecular pathways that are critical for metabolic homeostasis.
Subcellular Architecture as a New Frontier in Metabolic Homeostasis
Subcellular, organization displays tremendous architectural complexity. In eukaryotes, specific biochemical reactions are compartmentalized at particular structures, including membrane-enclosed-organelles, that create a physical barrier to avoid the uncontrolled transport of macromolecules and metabolites within the cell. Although the characteristic form and function of these organelles are conserved across species, cells have developed ways to diversify the “formation” of the structures and interactions between organelles.
