Name: William G Dunphy

Position: Grace C. Steele Professor of Biology

Research Description:

Regulation of the Cell Cycle and Maintenance of Genomic Integrity

Our laboratory has been generally interested in how cells proceed through the cell cycle in an orderly manner. In order to undergo division, cells must replicate their DNA during S-phase and then distribute the duplicated copies of their genomes equally to daughter cells at M-phase or mitosis. In earlier years, we focused mainly on the enzymatic network that induces the entry of cells into mitosis. A master regulatory kinase called MPF triggers mitotic entry by phosphorylating a myriad of cellular proteins. These phosphorylations lead to the hallmark events of mitosis such as chromosome condensation, nuclear envelope disassembly, and assembly of the mitotic spindle. MPF, which stands for maturation- or mitosis-promoting factor, is a heterotrimer containing a cyclin, a cyclin-dependent kinase (Cdk), and a small ancillary protein Cks protein. The kinase subunit of MPF is Cdk1, the founding member of this family--it was historically known as Cdc2. MPF also typically contains one of the B-type cyclins.

Lab Memberships

Dunphy Lab (Principal Investigator/Director)

Contact Information

Email: dunphy@caltech.edu
Web Page: http://www.bbe.caltech.edu/people/william-g-dunphy