Mason Lab
Principal Investigator: Frank M Mason
Institution: Vanderbilt University Medical Center (Nashville, TN)
Primary Subfield: Molecular & Cell Bio
Recruitment Status: Inquire for rotation/fellowship opportunities
Research Focus
Clear cell renal cell carcinoma (ccRCC) is characterized by two major chromosome abnormalities, loss of 3p and gain of 5q, which occur nearly universally in this disease. Here we focus on the unique insights these defects provide into activities at the nexus of chromatin and cytoskeletal biology: coordinated activity of chromatin remodelers on spindle microtubules needed for the integrity of mitosis. Colocalized on chromosome 3p are the chromatin remodelers SETD2, PBRM1, and BAP1 and the E3 ligase VHL. Our groups together have pioneered the concept that SETD2 and PBRM1 have active roles on the cytoskeleton that regulate mitotic fidelity, with impacts on genomic integrity that are only now being revealed. SETD2 is a methyltransferase for both histones and spindle microtubules. Using mutant alleles, we isolated loss of microtubule methylation as underlying the genomic instability tied to SETD2 loss. We further discovered that PBRM1, a substrate recognition member of the PBAF chromatin remodeler, specifically recognizes the SETD2 methyl mark on microtubules, and like the mark it “reads”, is required for genomic stability. Finally, we identified the mitotic kinase AURKA as a new target…
Active NIH Awards
- 5R01CA275082-05: Convergent Drivers of Tumor Evolution at the Mitotic Spindle (2026)
- 5R01CA275082-04: Convergent Drivers of Tumor Evolution at the Mitotic Spindle (2025)
- 5R01CA275082-03: Convergent Drivers of Tumor Evolution at the Mitotic Spindle (2024)
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