Our bodies are made of trillions of cells. Inside these cells, there are small parts called organelles that work together to keep us healthy. Two of the most important parts are the centrosome, which acts like a command center for the cell, and the primary cilium, which acts like an antenna to receive signals from outside. When these two parts do not work correctly, it causes many different diseases. These include "ciliopathies" (which affect the kidneys, eyes, and other organs) and brain diseases like neurodegeneration.
Around these command centers, there are very small granules called centriolar satellites (CS). For a long time, scientists did not know exactly what these granules did. Our research shows that CS are like "delivery hubs." they collect the proteins the cell needs and move them to the centrosome or the antenna. Even though they are very important, we still do not know how the cell builds them, how they move, or why they look different in different parts of the body, like in the brain versus the muscles.
The SatelliteHomeostasis project was started to answer these questions. Our main idea is that CS are "adaptive." This means they can change their size, number, and what they are made of depending on what the cell needs at that moment. For example, if a cell is under stress or dividing, the CS granules might remodel themselves to help the cell survive.
The overarching goals of this project center on deciphering the structural "blueprint" of CS and investigating their dynamic roles within the cell. By identifying the critical proteins that initiate granule assembly, we aim to understand the fundamental mechanics of how these structures are built. Furthermore, we examine how CS adapt across different cell types and respond to diverse environmental signals, providing insight into their physiological versatility. Ultimately, we seek to bridge the gap between basic cell biology and clinical pathology by investigating how CS malfunctions cause diseases such as ciliopathies affecting the eyes and brain.
By doing this research, we want to show that cell parts are not static, they are always changing and moving. If we understand how these CS work, we might find new ways to diagnose or treat genetic and brain diseases in the future.
