Janet L. Smith, Ph.D.
Scientist
Embryonic development, cancer, defense against infection
Email: smith at bbri.org

Research Summary
We wish to understand how cells coordinate changes in their architecture, or cytoskeleton, so that they can migrate toward a chemical attractant, a process known as chemotaxis. Chemotaxis is an important cellular phenomenon that occurs in embryonic development, metastatic cancer and defense against infection. Many of our experiments focus on how the second messenger cGMP regulates the activity of a molecular motor (myosin II) during chemotaxis. We use Dictyostelium as a model organism for many of our experiments, since it is simple and amenable to many techniques, yet is remarkably similar to many mammalian cells.

Selected Publications
Tokumitsu, H., N. Hatano, H. Inuzuka, Y. Ishikawa, T.Q.P. Uyeda, J.L. Smith, R. Kobayashi (2004) Regulatory mechanism of Dictyostelium myosin light chain kinase A. J Biol Chem. 279:42-50.

Roelofs, J., J.L. Smith, and P.J.M. Van Haastert (2003) Cyclic GMP signaling: different ways to create a pathway. Trends Genet. 19:132-4.

Goldberg, J.M., L. Bosgraaf, P.J.M. Van Haastert and J.L. Smith. (2002) Identification of four candidate cGMP targets in Dictyostelium. Proc. Natl. Acad. Sci. USA., 99:6749-54).

PubMed:
Click here for a list of publications (searches the National Library of Medicine's PubMed database.)