Louise Larose, PhD

The ability of the cells to detect changes from the surrounding environment and to respond adequately to those signals is literally often a question of life or death. My laboratory studies the molecular mechanisms regulating cellular signal transduction and more importantly, the role of adaptor proteins that are composed almost exclusively of Src homology (SH) domains. To study this family of proteins, we are investigating the function of Nck, a SH2/SH3 domains-containing adaptor protein. Through the years, our work has significantly contributed to establish that Nck by interacting with specific effectors participates in the regulation of the activation of receptor tyrosine kinases, the ability of cells to synthesize proteins, the ability of neuronal axons to interpret directional cues and the ability of the endoplasmic reticulum (ER) to respond to various stress.