James E. Ferrell, JR., M.D., Ph.D. (Professor) and Department Chair

Departmental Affiliation(s): Chemical and Systems Biology
Graduate Program(s): Biochemistry, Chemical and Systems Biology

Email: james.ferrell@stanford.edu
Website: http://www.stanford.edu/group/ferrelllab

Keywords:

protein kinases, phosphoprotein phosphatases, protein phosphorylation, cell cycle regulation, Xenopus oocytes, MAP kinase, MAPK, JNK, SAPK, NIMA, Nek1, oncogenes, proto-oncogenes, cyclin-dependent kinases, Cdc2, Cdk2, enzymolology, signal transduction, cell signaling, cell signalling, cancer, checkpoints, spindle assembly, progesterone, steroid hormones

Research Description:

Much of our research centers on the signal transduction pathways that trigger Xenopus oocyte maturation. This is an intrinsically important question--it sits at the heart of understanding fertility and reproduction--with a rich history of spinning off discoveries with broad implications for our understanding of the cell cycle (e.g. the discovery of M-phase promoting factor, MPF).

In addition, the signal transduction networks that trigger Xenopus oocyte maturation--the MAPK cascade and the Cdc2-cyclin B system--are of great importance in many biological contexts. We are studying how these networks function as systems. The oocyte provides in vitro and ex vivo experimental systems of unequaled power for carrying out quantitative biochemical studies, and we complement these experimental studies with computational approaches.

Representative Publication(s):

R. J. Deshaies and J. E. Ferrell, Jr. (2001) Multisite phosphorylation and the countdown to S phase. Cell 107:819-822.

C. P. Bagowski and J. E. Ferrell, Jr. (2001). Bistability in the JNK cascade. Curr. Biol. 11:1176-1182.

Bhatt RR, Ferrell JE Jr. (1999). The protein kinase p90 Rsk as an essential mediator of cytostatic factor activity. Science 286:1362-1365.

Guadagno TM, Ferrell JE Jr. (1998). A requirement for MAPK activation in normal mitotic progression in Xenopus egg extracts. Science 282:312-315.

Ferrell JE Jr, Machleder EM. (1998). The biochemical basis of an all-or-none cell fate switch in Xenopus oocytes. Science 280:895-898.

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