Professor The main interest of our lab is in the mechanisms that position organelles at precise locations in the cell and generate intracellular patterns. We use the ciliate Tetrahymena thermophila as a model to study cilia and intracellular patterns. On its surface, Tetrahymena carries numerous microtubule-based organelles, including ~1000 motile cilia, that are used for locomotion and feeding. We use genetic screens and next-generation whole genome sequencing to identify novel genes whose products control intracellular patterns. A total internal reflection microscopy imaging of DYF1-GFP in cilia of live (partially paralyzed) Tetrahymena (video by Patrick Yu-Yang Jiang in collaboration with Karl Lechtreck, University of Georgia) Two conjugating pairs of Tetrahymena. Microtubules are labeled with anti-tubulin antibodies. The confocal image was produced by Mayukh Guha and Muthugapatti Kandasamy (University of Georgia). Research Programs: Cells in Development Cell Structure and Function Lab office: (706) 542-3409 Research Interests: Biogenesis of microtubule-based organelles including cilia, organelle compartmentalization, intracellular pattern formation. Selected Publications Deraniyagala, A.S., Maier, W. Parra, M., Nanista, E., Sowunmi, D.O., Hassan, M., Chasen, N., Lechtreck, K.F., Cole, E.S., Bernardes, N., Chook, Y.M., and Gaertig J. (2025). Importin-9 and a TPR domain protein MpH drive periodic patterning of ciliary arrays in Tetrahymena. J. Cell Biol. DOI:10.1083/jcb.202409057. Lee, C., Joachimiak, E., Maier, W., Jiang, Y.-Y., Lechtreck, K.F., Cole, S.E., and Gaertig, J. (2025). Left-right biased proteins interact to drive intracellular patterning in the ciliate Tetrahymena. PLOS Genetics. DOI:101371/journal.pgen.1011735. Lee, C., Maier, W., Jiang, Y.-Y., Nakano, K., Lechtreck, K.F. and Gaertig, J. (2024) Global and local functions of a Fused kinase, CdaH, in intracellular patterning in Tetrahymena. Journal of Cell Science 137: jcs261256. DOI: 10.1242/jcs.261256. Cole, E.S., Maier, W., Joachimiak E., Jiang, Y.-Y., Lee, C., Collet, E., Chmelik, C., Romero, D., Chalker, D., Nurudeen, A., Ruedlin, T.M., Ozello, C, and Gaertig, J. (2023). Membrane trafficking defines the dimensions of cortical organelle domains during development: insights from bcd1 cortical pattern mutants in the ciliate, Tetrahymena thermophila. Mol. Biol. Cell 34:ar82: 1-17. DOI:10.1091/mbc.E22-11-0501. Cole, E.S. and Gaertig J. (2022) Anterior-posterior pattern formation in ciliates. J. Eukar. Microb. 69 (5): e12890. DOI: 10.1111/jeu.12890 Jiang, Y.-Y., Maier W., Chukka, U.N., Choromanski, M., Lee, C., Joachimiak, E., Wloga, D., Yeung W., Kannan, N., Frankel, J., and Gaertig J. (2020) Mutual antagonism between Hippo signaling and cyclin E drives intracellular pattern formation. J. Cell Biol. 219 (9) e202002077 Jiang, Y.-Y., Maier W., Baumeister, R., Minevich, G., Joachimiak, E., Wloga, D., Ruan Z., Kannan, Bocarro, S., Bahraini, A., Vasudevan, K.K., Lechtreck, K., Orias, E., and Gaertig J. (2019) LF4/MOK and a CDK-related kinase regulate the number and length of cilia in Tetrahymena. PLOS Genetics doi: 10.1371/journal.pgen.1008099. Jiang, Y-Y., Maier W., Baumeister R., Joachimiak E., Ruan Z., Kannan, N., Clark, D., Louka, P., Guha, M., Frankel, J. and Gaertig J. (2018). Two antagonistic Hippo signaling circuits set the division plane at the medial position in the ciliate Tetrahymena. Genetics. 211:651-663. Louka, P., Vasudevan, K., Guha, M., Joachimiak E., Wloga, D., Tomasi, R., Baroud, C.N., Dupuis-WilliaLouka, P., Vasudevan, K., Guha, M., Joachimiak E., Wloga, D., Tomasi, R., Baroud, C.N., Dupuis-Williams, P., Galati D.F., Pearson, C.G., Rice L.M., Moresco, J., Yates J.R., Jiang, Y-Y., Lechtreck, K., Dentler, W., and Gaertig, J. Proteins that control the geometry of microtubules at the ends of cilia (2018). J. Cell Biol., 217: 4298-4313. Jiang, Y.-Y., Maier W., Baumeister R., Minevich G, Joachimiak E., Ruan Z., Kannan, N., Clark, D., Frankel, J. and Gaertig J. (2017). The Hippo pathway maintains the equatorial division plane in the ciliate Tetrahymena. Genetics. 206: 873-888.
