Dr Luke Fulcher

About: 

I studied anatomical and physiological sciences at the University of Dundee, where I developed my interest in cellular signalling and how these signalling networks coordinate to control complex physiological processes. Following completion of my undergraduate degree, I started a PhD in the Lab of Professor Gopal Sapkota, at the Medical Research Council's Protein Phosphorylation and Ubiquitylation Unit, University of Dundee. My doctoral studies focussed on the role and regulation of Casein kinase 1 alpha (CK1α) in mitosis, and in particular how the anchoring protein FAM83D serves to recruit CK1α to the mitotic spindle for proper spindle positioning. During my PhD I developed a keen interest in the post-translational control of mitosis, and how mitotic kinases and phosphatases regulate this complex cellular process. I started my first postdoctoral research position in the Barr lab in 2020 to further understand the roles of these enzymes in the cell division cycle. 

Research:

In the Barr lab my project focusses on the roles and regulation of the Aurora kinase A phosphatase, protein phosphatase 6 (PP6). PP6 is a trimeric enzyme complex composed of three protein parts, of which PPP6C is the catalytic subunit. Mutations in PPP6C are found in some forms of melanoma in humans, and these mutations are largely loss-of-function, resulting in reduced cellular PP6 activity and hyperactivation of Aurora kinase A. Cells with compromised PP6 activity present with nuclear morphology defects and micronucleation, as well as chromosome alignment errors during mitosis. My project aims to identify and interrogate the molecular pathways that cells use to survive and proliferate, under conditions where PP6 function is limited. In doing so, we hope to determine novel targets for the treatment of PPP6C-associated melanoma.