Studies in our laboratory are focused on the mammalian cytoskeleton.  In particular, we would like to understand how different molecular motor proteins participate in the cytoskeletal changes of development. We have chosen mammalian spermatogenesis as our experimental system because of the dramatic rearrangements of the germ cell cytoskeleton that occur during this developmental program.  Our work focuses on the kinesin class of molecular motors that move cargoes such as vesicles, proteins, and RNA along microtubule tracks within cells.  Currently, we are studying a subgroup of kinesins that includes several isoforms with different roles in intracellular motility.  One isoform, KIFC5A, is involved in formation of the microtubule spindle in cell division. The second isoform called KIFC1 plays a role in transformation of the spermatid nucleus during sperm maturation. Together these motor proteins participate in remodeling of the germ cell cytoskeleton that is crucial to production of viable sperm. We would like to understand the different roles and modes of regulation of these interesting proteins. An improved understanding of the changes in motor proteins during normal development may reveal clues regarding abnormal cell growth and development due to alterations of these proteins.