The research goals under this fellowship are to elucidate the physiological significance of (a) the caldesmon phosphorylation during mitosis and (b) the down regulation of caldesmon during cell transformation. Because cell transformation and cell division control are intimately related phenomena, and because caldesmon is identified as a specific molecule involved in the morphological changes associated with both phenomena, the elucidation of its functions is quite important for a better understanding of the cytoskeletal changes during oncogenic transformation. I will be able to gain new research experience on cell division control, as well as certain cell biological techniques including microinjection in the sponsor's laboratory. This will help me to establish a cancer research program that integrates my previous work on cancer metastasis with the research on cell division control.
