Current Research

Work in the King laboratory is aimed at defining the structure and organization of the dynein complex, and at determining the mechanisms by which dynein motor function is regulated. We are also very interested to understand how all the various regulatory pathways are integrated within cilia and flagella so as to result in coordinated activity and functional waveform.

Projects in the laboratory involve cell biological, biochemical, genetic and structural approaches. Current work is aimed at the following topics:

1. Role of the lissencephaly protein (Lis1) in outer arm dynein activity.
2. The mechanism of retrograde intraflagellar transport.
3. The structural and biochemical mechanisms by which a motor domain-associated light chain controls dynein motor function.
4. Functional analysis of the intermediate chain/light chain complex and its role in dynein assembly and regulation.
5. Structural analysis of dynein proteins using NMR spectroscopy and X-ray crystallography.
6. Use of in vivo NMR spectroscopy to probe the Chlamydomonas metabolome.