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Huffaker, Tim Clark
Cornell Faculty Member
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Positions
- Professor, Molecular Biology and Genetics (MBG), College of Agriculture and Life Sciences (CALS)
- Dept Chairperson Assoc, Molecular Biology and Genetics (MBG), College of Agriculture and Life Sciences (CALS)
Research Areas
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- Research
- Publications
- Teaching
- Service
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Affiliations
Research
research overview
- During every cell generation, chromosomes are replicated and sister chromosomes are segregated to each of the daughter cells. The segregation of chromosomes involves a complex cellular machine called the mitotic spindle. The major components of the mitotic spindle are microtubule fibers that connect chromosomes to the spindle poles, the poles to each other, and each pole to cellular components distal to the spindle. In addition, a large number of other proteins are involved in spindle function. Although many of these proteins are as yet uncharacterized, they are thought to include microtubule motor proteins that mediate movements, regulatory proteins that influence microtubule assembly, and structural proteins that are required for spindle assembly and function. These proteins work together to form an extremely efficient machine; in yeast, a chromosome is missegregated only once in every 100,000 cell divisions. The aim of our lab is to identify proteins involved in mitotic spindle function in the yeast Saccharomyces cerevisiae and to study the function of these proteins at the molecular level. With its sophisticated molecular genetics, increasingly powerful cell biology tools, and relatively simple mitotic spindle, yeast is a particularly tractable organism for these studies.
principal investigator on
- MOLECULAR ANALYSIS OF MICROTUBULE FUNCTION IN YEAST awarded by NATL INST OF GENERAL MEDICAL SCIENCES, NIH 2009 - 2012
co-principal investigator on
- ULTRAVIEW VOX SPINNING DISK CONFOCAL FOR CORE FACILITY awarded by OFFICE OF THE DIRECTOR NIH 2012 - 2013
area(s) of concentration/expertise
keywords
- Cell biology
- Mitosis
submitted impact statement
Publications
individual publications
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academic article
- A Quantitative, High-Throughput Reverse Genetic Screen Reveals Novel Connections Between pre-mRNA Splicing and 5' and 3'-End Transcript Determinants. PLoS Genetics. 8. 2012
- Constitutive dynein activity in she1 mutants reveals differences in microtubule attachment at the yeast spindle pole body.. Molecular Biology of the Cell. 23:2319-2326. 2012
- Regulation of microtubule dynamics by Bim1 and Bik1, the budding yeast members of the EB1 and CLIP-170 families of plus-end tracking proteins.. Molecular Biology of the Cell. 21:2013-2023. 2010
- Requirement for the Budding Yeast Polo Kinase Cdc5 in Proper Microtubule Growth and Dynamics. Eukaryotic Cell. 7:444-453. 2008
- The Saccharomyces cerevisiae homolog of p24 is essential for maintaining the association of p150Glued with the dynactin complex. Genetics. 178:703-709. 2008
- Dynamic microtubules are essential for efficient chromosome caputure and biorientation in S. cerevisiae. Journal of Cell Biology. 175:17-23. 2006
- The regulation of microtubule dynamics in Saccharomyces cerevisiae by three interacting plus-end tracking proteins. Molecular Biology of the Cell. 17:2789-2798. 2006
- Model for the yeast cofactor A-beta-tubulin complex based on computational docking and mutagenesis. Journal of Molecular Biology. 341:1343-1354. 2004
- Spindle orientation in Saccharomyces cerevisiae depends on the transport of microtubules along polarized actin cables. Journal of Cell Biology. 161:483-488. 2003
- Microfilaments and microtubules: the news from yeast. Current Opinion in Microbiology. 5:564-574. 2002
- Stu1p is physically associated with beta-tubulin and is required for structural integrity of the mitotic spindle. Molecular Biology of the Cell. 13:1881-1892. 2002
- The yeast ubiquitin protease, Ubp3p, promotes protein stability. Genetics. 162:1079-1089. 2002
- Control of microtubule dynamics by Stu2p is essential for spindle orientation and metaphase chromosome alignment in yeast. Molecular and Cellular Biology. 9:28702880. 2001
- Implication of a novel multi-protein Dam1p complex in outer kinetochore function. Journal of Cell Biology. 155:1137-1145. 2001
- Stu2 promotes mitotic spindle elongation in anaphase. Journal of Cell Biology. 153:435-442. 2001
- Myosin V orients the mitotic spindle in yeast. Nature. 406:1013-1016. 2000
- The yeast spindle pole body component Spc72p interacts with Stu2p and is required for proper microtubule assembly. Journal of Cell Biology. 141:1169-1179. 1998
- Rnr4p, a novel ribonucleotide reductase small subunit protein. Molecular and Cellular Biology. 17:6114-6121. 1997
- Stu2p: A microtubule-binding protein that is an essential component of the yeast spindle pole body. Journal of Cell Biology. 139:1271-1280. 1997
- Suppressors of the ndc10-2 mutation: A role for the ubiquitin system in Saccharomyces cerevisiae kinetochore function. Genetics. 147:409-420. 1997
- Two genes required for the binding of an essential Saccharomyces cerevisiae kinetochore complex to DNA. Proceedings at the National Academy of Science USA. 92:12026-12030. 1995
- STU1, a suppressor of a beta-tubulin mutation, encodes a novel and essential component of the yeast mitotic spindle. Journal of Cell Biology. 127:1973-1984. 1994
- Systematic mutational analysis of the yeast beta-tubulin gene. Molecular Biology of the Cell. 5:29-43. 1994
- Two yeast genes with similarity to TCP-1 are required for microtubule and actin function in vivo. Proceedings at the National Academy of Science USA. 91:9111-9115. 1994
- Deletion of a single copy tRNA affects microtubule function in Saccharomyces cerevisiae. Genetics. 135:955-962. 1993
- An inside look at a small cell. New Biologist. 4:23-27. 1992
- Astral microtubules are not required for anaphase B in Saccharomyces cerevisiae. Journal of Cell Biology. 119:379-388. 1992
- Role of astral microtubules and actin in spindle orientation and migration in the budding yeast, Saccharomyces cerevisiae. Journal of Cell Biology. 119:583-593. 1992
- Diverse effects of beta-tubulin mutations on microtubule formation and function. Journal of Cell Biology. 106:1997-2010. 1988
- A temperature-sensitive N-glycosylation mutant of S. cerevisiae that behaves like a cell-cycle mutant. Exp. Cell Res. 150:309-313. 1984
- Cloning and expression in Escherichia coli of a yeast mannosyltransferase from the asparagine-linked glycosylation pathway. Journal of Biological Chemistry. 259:378-382. 1984
- Two yeast mutations in glucosylation steps of the asparagine glycosylation pathway. Journal of Biological Chemistry. 259:412-417. 1984
- Yeast mutants deficient in protein glycosylation. Proceedings at the National Academy of Science USA. 80:7466-7470. 1983
- Genetic and biochemical studies of asparagine-linked oligosaccharide assembly. Philosophical Transactions of the Royal Society B. 300:207-223. 1982
- Studies on the disulfide region of alpha-1-protease inhibitor. Int. J. Peptide Protein Res. 20:56-62. 1982
- Temperature-sensitive yeast mutants deficient in asparagine-linked glycosylation. Journal of Biological Chemistry. 257:3203-3210. 1982
- Influence of cadmium on human alpha-1-antitrypsin: a reexamination. Science. 196:556-557. 1977
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booksection
Teaching
teaching overview
- I currently teach BIOG 1350, Principles of Cell and Developmental Biology. This is one the new course courses for freshman biology majors.
teaching activities
Service
service to the profession
- American Society for Cell Biology Member 1989 -
- Genetic Society of America Member 1989 -
- American Cancer Society Cell Cycle and Growth Control Committee Chairperson - 2007
- American Cancer Society Cell Cycle and Growth Control Committee Chairperson - 2007
- American Cancer Society Cell Cycle and Growth Control Committee Member - 2006
- American Cancer Society Cell Cycle and Growth Control Committee Member - 2006
- American Cancer Society Cell Cycle and Growth Control Committee Member - 2005
- American Cancer Society Cell Cycle and Growth Control Committee Member - 2005
- American Cancer Society Cell Cycle and Growth Control Committee Member - 2004
- American Cancer Society Cell Cycle and Growth Control Committee Member - 2004
- American Cancer Society Cell Cycle and Growth Control Committee Member - 2003
- American Cancer Society Cell Cycle and Growth Control Committee Member - 2003
- American Cancer Society Cell Cycle and Growth Control Committee Ad hoc member - 2002
- NIH Special Study Section, Site Visit of Research Resource application Member - 2001
reviewer or editor for
- American Cancer Society
- American Cancer Society
- American Cancer Society Cell Cycle and Growth Control Committee
- American Cancer Society Cell Cycle and Growth Control Committee
- Genesis Oncology Trust
- NIH Cell Biology 1 Study Section
- NIH Cell Development and Function 6 Study Section
- NIH Cell Development and Function 6 Study Section
- NIH Microbial Physiology and Genetics Study Section
- NIH Proteomics, Protein Expression, and Protein Therapeutics Panel
- NIH Special Emphasis Panel/Scientific Review Group
- NSF Cell Biology Review Panel
- National Institutes of Health
- National Institutes of Health
- National Science Foundation
- National Science Foundation
- National Science Foundation
- National Science Foundation
- Netherlands Organisation for Scientific Research
- Research Grants Council of Hong Kong
- US-Israel Binational Science Foundation
- Welcome Trust
- Welcome Trust
- Welcome Trust
Background
education and training
- Ph.D. in Biology, Massachusetts Institute of Technology 1983
- A.B. in Chemistry, University of California at Santa Cruz 1975
awards and honors
- Young Investigator Award, 1988
- Helen Hay Whitney Postdoctoral Fellow, 1986
- Honors in Chemistry, 1975
Other
college
- CALS
research keyword
- Cell biology
- Mitosis
name prefix
- Professor