Research Expertise and Interest
mitochondrial biogenesis, mitochondrial genome inheritance, organelle assembly, DNA replication, cell metabolism, interactions between membrane-bound organelles
Research Description
Within each of our cells, the genetic control of metabolism is split between the nuclear genome and thousands of small, circular mitochondrial genomes. The co-regulation of these two genomes is required for aerobic life, yet paradoxically, their replication and inheritance are uncoupled. Defects in mitochondrial DNA cause hereditary metabolic diseases that impact tissues with high energy demand such as the brain, muscle, and heart, and are also linked to cancer and the innate immune response. The Lewis Lab team aims to reveal the mechanisms that ensure mtDNA integrity and inheritance in animal cells, using quantitative imaging, genetics, and systems biology approaches.
Key Publications:
- Begeman A, Babaian A, Lewis SC. mSystems. 2023 May 18:e0100222.
- Smolka JA & Lewis SC. Methods in Molecular Biology, vol 2615 (2023). Humana, New York, NY.
- Mays A, et al. Cell, 2023 Jun 8;186(12):2510-2517.
- Hinton Jr. AO, et al. Cell, 2020 Oct 29;183, 568-575.
- Lewis SC, Uchiyama LF, J Nunnari. Science, 353(6296): aaf5549 July 15, 2016.
- Lewis SC, et al. (2015) PLoS Genetics, 11(2): e1004985.
