Suzuki lab

Eukaryotic cells compartmentalize biochemical reactions and cell signaling events in membrane-bound organelles. These organelles actively communicate with each other at the membrane-contact sites (MCSs). To facilitate this, membrane remodeling occurs at the MCSs remains unclear. Recently, I discovered an unexpected contribution of MCS to endosomal sorting. Excitingly, these observations provide new mechanisms for the understanding of membrane dynamics at the MCSs. I utilize yeast and mammalian cells to study how organelle contact sites contribute to membrane remodeling, especially in the endolysosome system. Loss-of-function mutations of genes encoding the MCS resident proteins are directly linked to neurological disorders, including Parkinson’s disease. My research program is uniquely positioned toward new mechanisms underlying neurodegenerative diseases.