MISSION / OVERVIEW

Lipids are found in all animal cell membranes and have been suggested to play important roles in a wide variety of cellular functions, including cell-cell interactions, cell growth and differentiation, transformation, and signal transduction.

To better understand the roles of lipids in these complex processes, it is necessary to elucidate the mechanisms responsible for generating and maintaining the intracellular distribution of lipids in cell membranes.

Our laboratory is studying the following:

• mechanisms of endocytosis and intracellular sorting of lipids
• lipid recycling between the plasma membrane and intracellular organelles
• sphingolipid synthesis and transport along the secretory pathway
• role of various rab proteins and cholesterol in regulating lipid transport
• membrane traffic in lipid storage diseases
• correction of lipid storage defects in NP-C disease by modulating lipid trafficking

These studies not only contribute to our basic understanding of lipid metabolism and transport in normal and disease cells, but may lead to important future clinical applications.