Josh Thompson

Biography

Asymmetric cell division, unequal distribution of cell fate determinants between daughter cells, underlies the development and maintenance of varied tissue types. The Wnt/β-catenin asymmetry pathway asymmetrically distributes Wnt signaling components to differentially regulate Wnt target genes in daughter cells post-division. The main effector of this pathway, β-catenin, instead localizes symmetrically to centrosomes. By investigating molecular motors, I will demonstrate cell fate-relevant roles for this localization of C. elegans SYS-1/β-catenin and its regulators in SYS-1/β-catenin inheritance.

Josh Thompson