Erfei Bi, Ph.D.
Professor of Cell and Developmental Biology
Department: Cell and Developmental Biology
Graduate Group Affiliations
Contact information
Room 1012, BRB II/III
421 Curie Boulevard
Philadelphia, PA 19104-6058
421 Curie Boulevard
Philadelphia, PA 19104-6058
Office: 215-573-6676
Fax: 215-898-9871
Lab: 215-573-6677
Fax: 215-898-9871
Lab: 215-573-6677
Email:
ebi@mail.med.upenn.edu
ebi@mail.med.upenn.edu
Publications
Education:
B.S.
Wuhan University, P. R. China, 1985.
Ph.D.
University of Kansas Medical Center, 1991.
Permanent linkB.S.
Wuhan University, P. R. China, 1985.
Ph.D.
University of Kansas Medical Center, 1991.
Description of Research Expertise
Research InterestsDevelopment of Eukaryotic Cell Polarity and Mechanisms of Cytokinesis
Key words: Cell polarity, cytokinesis, septins, actin cytoskeleton, Cdc42 signaling, exocytosis, and morphogenesis
Research Description
Research in our laboratory is aimed at elucidating the general mechanisms of polarity development and cytokinesis, two fundamental processes essential for all cellular life. We investigate these problems using the model organism, the budding yeast Saccharomyces cerevisiae, and employing an integrated approach involving genetics, cell biology, and biochemistry.
Cell polarization or the formation of distinct cellular domains is essential for development. The conserved small GTPase Cdc42 plays a central role in polarity establishment and maintenance in eukaryotic organisms ranging from yeast to humans. One major goal of our research is to determine how Cdc42 controls polarized assembly of actin cables and septin ring, which guide secretion and restricts cortical proteins to a specific cellular domain, respectively. Another major goal is to determine how Cdc42 activity is regulated in time and space by its guanine nucleotide exchange factor (GEF) and multiple GTPase activating proteins (GAPs) during polarity development.
Cytokinesis in fungi and animal cells is achieved by the concerted actions of a contractile actomyosin ring (AMR) and targeted membrane deposition/extracellular matrix remodeling at the division site. Our goal is to determine how the AMR is assembled and how the AMR is spatiotemporally coupled to membrane trafficking or localized ECM remodeling during cytokinesis.
Rotation projects: interested students are welcome to discuss possible rotation projects.
Current members of the lab
Younghoon Oh (Postdoc.)
Satoshi Okada (Postdoc.)
Ting Wang (Postdoc.)
Carsten Wloka (Visiting graduate student)
Zhonghui Feng (Visiting graduate student)
Julia Hanna (Research Specialist)
Kaileen Yeh (Work-study student)
Ruslan Zagatskiy (Work-study student)
Selected Publications
Wloka Carsten, Nishihama Ryuichi, Onishi Masayuki, Oh Younghoon, Hanna Julia, Pringle John R, Krauß Michael, Bi Erfei: Evidence that a septin diffusion barrier is dispensable for cytokinesis in budding yeast. Biological Chemistry 392(8-9): 813-29, Aug 2011.Oh Younghoon, Bi Erfei: Septin structure and function in yeast and beyond. Trends in cell biology Dec 2010.
Fang Xiaodong, Luo Jianying, Nishihama Ryuichi, Wloka Carsten, Dravis Christopher, Travaglia Mirko, Iwase Masayuki, Vallen Elizabeth A, Bi Erfei: Biphasic targeting and cleavage furrow ingression directed by the tail of a myosin II. The Journal of cell biology 191(7): 1333-50, Dec 2010.
Bi Erfei: Lord of the ring. Nature reviews. Molecular cell biology 11(9): 606, Sep 2010.
Nishihama Ryuichi, Schreiter Jennifer H, Onishi Masayuki, Vallen Elizabeth A, Hanna Julia, Moravcevic Katarina, Lippincott Margaret F, Han Haesun, Lemmon Mark A, Pringle John R, Bi Erfei: Role of Inn1 and its interactions with Hof1 and Cyk3 in promoting cleavage furrow and septum formation in S. cerevisiae. The Journal of cell biology 185(6): 995-1012, Jun 2009.
Tong, Zongtian. Gao, Xiang-Dong. Howell, Audrey S. Bose, Indrani. Lew, Daniel J. Bi, Erfei.: Adjacent positioning of cellular structures enabled by a Cdc42 GTPase-activating protein-mediated zone of inhibition. Journal of Cell Biology 179(7): 1375-84, Dec 31 2007.
Park, Hay-Oak. Bi, Erfei.: Central roles of small GTPases in the development of cell polarity in yeast and beyond. Microbiology & Molecular Biology Reviews 71(1): 48-96, Mar 2007.
Gao, Xiang-Dong. Sperber, Lauren M. Kane, Steven A. Tong, Zongtian. Tong, Amy Hin Yan. Boone, Charles. Bi, Erfei.: Sequential and distinct roles of the cadherin domain-containing protein Axl2p in cell polarization in yeast cell cycle. Molecular Biology of the Cell 18(7): 2542-60, Jul 2007.
Iwase, Masayuki. Luo, Jianying. Nagaraj, Satish. Longtine, Mark. Kim, Hyong Bai. Haarer, Brian K. Caruso, Carlo. Tong, Zongtian. Pringle, John R. Bi, Erfei.: Role of a Cdc42p effector pathway in recruitment of the yeast septins to the presumptive bud site. Molecular Biology of the Cell 17(3): 1110-25, Mar 2006.