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Richard Wargachuk
Postdoctoral Fellow |
My main scientific interests
center on how cells interpret signals form their
environment. During my PhD in the laboratory of Dr. Gregory
Marczynski in the department of Microbiology and Immunology
at McGill I investigated the regulation control of
chromosome replication in the model bacterium Caulobacter
crescentus. Prior to this I have completed a Master’s degree
in department of Biology at McGill University with Dr.
Brown, in which I was involved in a fine scale mapping
project which identified a nuclear gene that reverses a
mitochondrial defect that results in cytoplasmic male
sterility, in canola (Brassica napus).
I joined Terry’s lab in
December of 2013 as a postdoctoral fellow. I will be
investigating the assembly of GPCR complexes. It is becoming
clear that GPCRs form stable pre-assembled complexes with G
proteins and other effector proteins. The nature of these
complexes influences the response of the receptor to
stimuli. It has been recently shown that the β-adrenergic
receptor associates with many of the components of the
endoplasmic-reticulum-associated protein degradation (ERAD)
quality control system. These interactions could govern the
abundance and composition of receptor complexes leading to
distinct receptor dependent signaling outcomes. Using an
siRNA-based approach I will knock down the various
components of the ERAD system to determine their role in
GPCR complex assembly and signaling.
