Anjon Audhya, PhD

Position title: Professor, Biomolecular Chemistry

PhD, University of California, San Diego

Contact Information

440 Henry Mall
5214A Biochemical Sciences Bldg
Madison, WI 53706
608.262.3761
audhya@wisc.edu
Lab Website: Audhya Lab

Research Statement

Our laboratory is committed to understanding fundamental mechanisms by which membrane proteins, lipids, and other macromolecules are transported throughout eukaryotic cells. To do so, we take advantage of numerous interdisciplinary approaches, including biochemistry, structural biology, biophysics, genetics, molecular biology and high resolution fluorescence and electron microscopy.

Additionally, we use a variety of experimental systems, ranging from simple animal models (e.g. Caenorhabditis elegans) to human induced pluripotent stem cells (iPSCs). We also aim to recapitulate individual steps of membrane transport in vitro, using recombinant proteins and chemically defined lipids. Our ultimate goal is to identify the regulatory pathways that control membrane deformation, which enable vesicle formation in the endosomal and secretory systems. Although basic research is the cornerstone of our program, we also seek to define pathomechanisms that underlie human disease, focusing on the impact of mutations in key trafficking components that lead to cancer, neurodegeneration, asthma, and diabetes. For more information, please visit our lab webpage: https://audhya.bmc.wisc.edu/.

Selected Publications

Peotter J, Kasberg W, Pustova I, Audhya A. (2019). COPII-mediated trafficking at the ER/ERGIC interface. Traffic, 20(7):491-503. doi: 10.1111/tra.12654.
Jones JR, Kong L, Hanna MG 4th, Hoffman B, Krencik R, Bradley R, Hagemann T, Choi J, Doers M, Dubovis M, Sherafat MA, Bhattacharyya A, Kendziorski C, Audhya A, Messing A, Zhang SC. (2018). Mutations in GFAP Disrupt the Distribution and Function of Organelles in Human Astrocytes. Cell Reports, 25(4):947-958.e4. doi: 10.1016/j.celrep.2018.09.083.
Slosarek EL, Schuh AL, Pustova I, Johnson A, Bird J, Johnson M, Frankel EB, Bhattacharya N, Hanna MG, Burke JE, Ruhl DA, Quinney K, Block S, Peotter JL, Chapman ER, Sheets MD, Butcher SE, Stagg SM, Audhya A. (2018). Pathogenic TFG Mutations Underlying Hereditary Spastic Paraplegia Impair Secretory Protein Trafficking and Axon Fasciculation. Cell Reports, 24(9):2248-2260. doi: 10.1016/j.celrep.2018.07.081.
Hwang B, Phan FP, McCool K, Choi EY, You J, Johnson A, Audhya A, Miyamoto S. (2015) Quantification of Cellular NEMO Content and Its Impact on NF-κB Activation by Genotoxic Stress. PLoS One. 5;10(3):e0116374. doi: 10.1371/journal.pone.0116374.
Takahashi H, Mayers JR, Wang L, Edwardson JM, Audhya A. (2015) Hrs and STAM function synergistically to bind ubiquitin-modified cargoes in vitro. Biophysical Journal. 6;108(1):76-84. doi: 10.1016/j.bpj.2014.11.004.
Johnson A, Bhattacharya N, Hanna M, Pennington JG, Schuh AL, Wang L, Otegui MS, Stagg SM, Audhya A. (2015) TFG clusters COPII-coated transport carriers and promotes early secretory pathway organization. The EMBO Journal. 12;34(6):811-27. doi: 10.15252/embj.201489032.
Schuh AL, Hanna M, Quinney K, Wang L, Sarkeshik A, Yates JR, Audhya A. (2015) The VPS-20 subunit of the endosomal sorting complex ESCRT-III exhibits an open conformation in the absence of upstream activation. Biochemical Journal. 15;466(3):625-37. doi: 10.1042/BJ20141202.
Wan J, Zhu F, Zasadil LM, Yu J, Wang L, Johnson A, Berthier E, Beebe DJ, Audhya A, Weaver BA. (2014) A Golgi-localized pool of the mitotic checkpoint component Mad1 controls integrin secretion and cell migration. Current Biology. 17;24(22):2687-92. doi: 10.1016/j.cub.2014.09.052.