The Gerlitz Lab
Nuclear Dynamics and Cytoskeletal Rearrangement
The lab research is focused on the interrelations between cytoplasmic cytoskeletal rearrangements and the nucleus including the nuclear envelope and chromatin. We have found that induction of tumor cell migration induces global chromatin condensation, which is a prerequisite for proper cell migration. We also identified interrelations between the nucleus and the cytoskeleton: 1. Major changes in cytoplasmic microtubules alter the nuclear envelope morphology as well as the global organization of chromatin fibers. 2. The histone methyl transferase SETDB1 has a moonlight activity in regulation of microtubule dynamics through HDAC6. 3. Migration cues induce formation of a perinuclear actin rim.
Gabi Gerlitz
Gabi Gerlitz jointed the department of Molecular Biology in Ariel University in 2012. Prof. Gerlitz received his B.Sc. from Tel Aviv University. His M.Sc. and Ph.D. studies on the regulation of protein synthesis were done in the department of Cell Research and Immunology at Tel Aviv University. He did postdoctoral work on cell migration and chromatin dynamics in the department of Molecular Genetics at the Weizmann Institute of Science, Israel and the Laboratory of Metabolism, NCI, MD, USA.
