LEAH T. HAIMO
Professor and Vice-Chair of Biology
Directorof the Graduate Research Umbrella in Cell, Molecular, and Developmental Biology
Office 2352 Spieth Hall
Phone (951) 827-5632
E-mail: leah.haimo@ucr.edu
Degree:
Ph.D., Yale University, 1980
Research in our laboratory focuses on understanding intracellular movements. We study movements that occur along microtubules and are interested in elucidating the molecular mechanism that controls the direction of transport of organelles along microtubules. As a model system, we study pigment granule transport in fish and Xenopus melanophores. We found that bidirectional transport is regulated by protein phosphorylation, and recent studies suggest that the microtubule motors may be the targets such that changes in their phosphorylation state alter their ability to interact with microtubules and drive transport. Dr. Haimo participates in the Cell, Molecular, and Developmental Biology graduate program.
Some Representative Publications....
- Haimo, L. T. and C. D. Thaler. 1994. Regulation of organelle transport: Lessons from color change in fish. Bioessays 16: 727-733.
- Haimo, L. T. (1995) Regulation of kinesin-directed movements. Trends Cell Biol. 5: 165-168.
- Thaler, C. D. and L. T. Haimo. (1996) Microtubules and microtubule motors: mechanisms of regulation. Int. Rev. Cytol. 164: 269-327.
- Haimo, L. T. (1997) Ordering Microtubules. Bioessays 19: 547-550.
- Haimo, L. T. (1998) Reactivation of vesicle transport in lysed teleost melanophores. In : Methods in Enzymology, Molecular Motors and the Cytoskeleton, ed. R. Vallee, Academic Press. 298: 389-399.
Recent Teaching....
- Biology 200, Cell, Molecular, and Developmental Biology
- Biology 111, Cell Biology
- Biology 109, Laboratory in Molecular Biology