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PhD University of Pennsylvania
MSc University of British Columbia
BSc Nankai University

Research Areas:

Cell and molecular biology of parasitic pathogens; cell cycle regulation; and organelle biogenesis.

Research Interests:

Centrins are small, calcium-binding proteins involved in cell signalling, organelle biogenesis, and cell cycle regulation. Mis-regulation of centrins is often found associated with tumors. To understand the cellular functions of Centrin proteins, we use the African Trypanosome, an infectious parasitic pathogen and a powerful model system to study -

1. The components and functions of a novel Centrin-containing structure;
2. The interaction between different Centrin proteins and how their interaction may regulate cell cycle progress;
3. Structural dynamics and regulation of Centrin functions.

Selected Publications: 

1. He CY, Shaw MK, Pletcher CH, Striepen B, Tilney LG, and Roos DS (2001). A plastid segregation defect in the protozoan parasites Toxoplasma gondii. EMBO J. 20(3), 330-339

2. He CY, Shaw MK, Murray JM, and Roos DS (2001). Targeting and processing of nuclear-encoded apicoplast proteins in plastid segregation mutants in Toxoplasma gondii. J. Biol. Chem. 276, 28436-28442

3. Pelletier L, Stern CA, Pypaert M, Sheff D, Ngo HM, Roper N, He CY, Hu K, Toomre D, Coppens I, Roos DS, Joiner KA, Warren G.(2002) Golgi biogenesis in Toxoplasma gondii. Nature. 418(6897):548-52

4. He CY, Ho HH, Malsam J, Chalouni C, West C, Ullu E, Toomre D and Warren G.(2004) Golgi duplication in Trypanosoma brucei. J. Cell Biol. 165(3):313-321

5. He CY, Pypaert M and Warren G. (2005) Golgi duplication in Trypanosoma brucei requires Centrin2. Science. 310(5751):1196-8

6. Hartmann J, Hu K, He CY, Pelletier L, Roos DS and Warren G (2006) Golgi and centrosome cycles in Toxoplasma gondii. Mol Biochem Parasitol. 145(1):125-7

7. Ho HH, He CY, deGraffenried CL, Murrells LJ and Warren G (2006) Step-wise assembly of the duplicating Golgi in Trypanosoma brucei. Proc Natl Acad Sci U S A 103(20):7676-81

8. He CY (2007) Golgi biogenesis in simple eukaryotes. Cellular Microbiology (in press).