Dr. Laurence Pelletier — The Samuel Lunenfeld Research Institute

Personal tools

You are here: Home → Researchers → Dr. Laurence Pelletier

Dr. Laurence Pelletier
INVESTIGATOR

Dr. Laurence Pelletier is a Principal Investigator in the Centre for Systems Biology, where he studies molecular mechanisms in cells that regulate cell division. A better understanding of these fundamental processes has important implications for chromosomal diseases and for cancer.

Dr. Pelletier’s research brings together the power of the Human Genome Project with leading-edge microscopy of living cells. He uses these technologies to identify and study the components of the cell involved in cell division, and to investigate their role in healthy development and diseases.

In August 2008, the Lunenfeld received the OMX (Optical microscopy eXperimental) -- one of the world’s highest-resolution light microscopes and the only one of its kind in Canada. The OMX uses lasers, high-speed cameras and computers to produce impressive images and gives scientists the clearest view ever seen of cells in real time. This will help researchers study and better understand a variety of biological systems and ultimately help unlock some answers to cancer and birth defects.

Samuel Lunenfeld
Research Institute
Mount Sinai Hospital
Joseph & Wolf Lebovic Health Complex
600 University Avenue
Toronto Ontario M5G 1X5

Tel: 416-586-4800 ext.6196
► Send Email
► Lab Website

Jul 15, 2009 05:30 PM

At a Glance

Studies molecular mechanisms in cells that regulate cell division
Holds the Canada Research Chair in Centrosome Biogenesis and Function
Seeks a better understanding of processes involved in chromosomal disease (like Down’s Syndrome) and cancer
Works with the most powerful light microscopes in the world to view proteins working in living cells

Major Research Activities

The focus of Dr. Pelletier’s lab is to understand how centriole duplication is regulated during the cell cycle and how centrioles template the formation of cilia and flagella in specialized cells. By organizing pericentriolar material, centrioles orchestrate bipolar mitotic spindle assembly, a prerequisite for the faithful and accurate segregation of chromosomes, failure to tightly regulate the number of centrioles in the cell leading to aneuploidy and contribution to cancer formation. Using functional genomics in combination with cutting-edge microscopy of live cells, the major goal of our laboratory is to identify and study novel proteins required for these processes and investigate their potential role in development and diseases.

Recent Publications

HAUS, the 8-subunit human Augmin complex, regulates centrosome and spindle integrity.Lawo S, Bashkurov M, Mullin M, Ferreria MG, Kittler R, Habermann B, Tagliaferro A, Poser I, Hutchins JR, Hegemann B, Pinchev D, Buchholz F, Peters JM, Hyman AA, Gingras AC, Pelletier L.
Curr Biol. 2009 May 26;19(10):816-26. Epub 2009 May 7.
PMID: 19427217 [PubMed - in process]
Related Articles2:

The RIDDLE syndrome protein mediates a ubiquitin-dependent signaling cascade at sites of DNA damage. Stewart GS, Panier S, Townsend K, Al-Hakim AK, Kolas NK, Miller ES, Nakada S, Ylanko J, Olivarius S, Mendez M, Oldreive C, Wildenhain J, Tagliaferro A, Pelletier L, Taubenheim N, Durandy A, Byrd PJ, Stankovic T, Taylor AM, Durocher

The mammalian SPD-2 ortholog Cep192 regulates centrosome biogenesis.Zhu F, Lawo S, Bird A, Pinchev D, Ralph A, Richter C, Müller-Reichert T, Kittler R, Hyman AA, Pelletier L. Curr Biol. 2008 Jan 22;18(2):136-41.
PMID: 18207742

► Lunenfeld Research Repository

Document Actions