UM DBS: Hay Lab - Principal Investigator Statement

Principal Investigator Statement

Jesse C. Hay

Phone: (406) 243-2381
E-mail: jesse.hay@umontana.edu

Nearly every aspect of cell function depends upon the delivery of cellular products to their proper intracellular locations. Membrane-bound organelles receive their proteins, lipids and other constituents through inter-organelle exchanges mediated by ~50 nanometer spherical transport vesicles that bud from the donor compartment and are properly targeted to, and fuse with, the acceptor compartment. Transport vesicles contain special membrane proteins, called SNAREs, that are hypothesized to allow vesicles to dock and fuse at the appropriate acceptor membrane. Other proteins such as rabs, SM proteins and membrane tethers work with and regulate SNAREs to ensure accurate vesicle delivery and fusion. It is hard to imagine proteins more central to the organization and differentiation of intracellular membranes. Dr. Hay's laboratory is trying to understand the molecular mechanism of action, regulation, and protein interactions of these vesicle trafficking proteins, using mammalian endoplasmic reticulum (ER)-to-Golgi and specialized neuronal membrane trafficking events as model systems. A wide variety of techniques are employed in this laboratory, including in vitro reconstitutions of transport processes in permeabilized cells, microscopy, and in vitro biochemistry.

Dr. Hay received his Ph.D. degree from the University of Wisconsin-Madison in 1994. He was a postdoctoral fellow at Stanford University until 1998 and then a faculty member at the University of Michigan until 2004. He joined the faculty of the University of Montana in December, 2004.

Recent Publications

Principal Investigator Statement Research Projects Overview Lab Members Useful Links Recent Publications Contact Information HOME	Hay Lab Principal Investigator Statement Jesse C. Hay Phone: (406) 243-2381 E-mail: jesse.hay@umontana.edu Nearly every aspect of cell function depends upon the delivery of cellular products to their proper intracellular locations. Membrane-bound organelles receive their proteins, lipids and other constituents through inter-organelle exchanges mediated by ~50 nanometer spherical transport vesicles that bud from the donor compartment and are properly targeted to, and fuse with, the acceptor compartment. Transport vesicles contain special membrane proteins, called SNAREs, that are hypothesized to allow vesicles to dock and fuse at the appropriate acceptor membrane. Other proteins such as rabs, SM proteins and membrane tethers work with and regulate SNAREs to ensure accurate vesicle delivery and fusion. It is hard to imagine proteins more central to the organization and differentiation of intracellular membranes. Dr. Hay's laboratory is trying to understand the molecular mechanism of action, regulation, and protein interactions of these vesicle trafficking proteins, using mammalian endoplasmic reticulum (ER)-to-Golgi and specialized neuronal membrane trafficking events as model systems. A wide variety of techniques are employed in this laboratory, including in vitro reconstitutions of transport processes in permeabilized cells, microscopy, and in vitro biochemistry. Dr. Hay received his Ph.D. degree from the University of Wisconsin-Madison in 1994. He was a postdoctoral fellow at Stanford University until 1998 and then a faculty member at the University of Michigan until 2004. He joined the faculty of the University of Montana in December, 2004. Recent Publications