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Dr. James R. LaFountain

Professor
Cooke 657
phone: (716) 645-4965
email: jrl@buffalo.edu
Further research info

Research Summary

I study meiosis, concentrating on microtubule dynamics and chromosome movements in a model meiotic system crane-fly spermatocytes. Recent discoveries include direct observation of microtubule flux within spindle microtubules of living spermatocytes and induction of chromosome malorientations that give rise to nondisjunction. Work in progress is aimed at resolving the mechanism(s) underlying flux and malorientation.

Selected Publications

• LaFountain, J.R., Jr., and Oldenbourg, R. 2004. Maloriented bivalents have metaphase positions at the spindle equator with more kinetochore microtubules to one pole than to the other. Molecular Biology of the Cell 15:5346-5355.
• LaFountain, J.R., Jr., Cohan, C.S., Siegel, A.J. and LaFountain, D.J. 2004. Direct visualization of microtubule flux during metaphase and anaphase in crane-fly spermatocytes. Molecular Biology of the Cell 15:5724-5732.
• LaFountain, J.R., Jr., Cole, R.W. and Rieder, C.L. 2002. Polar ejection forces are operative in crane-fly spermatocytes, but their action is limited to the spindle periphery. Cell Motility and the Cytoskeleton 51:16-26.
• LaFountain, J.R., Jr., Cole, R.W. and Rieder, C.L. 2002. Partner telomeres during anaphase in crane-fly spermatocytes are connected by an elastic tether that exerts a backward force and resists poleward motion. Journal of Cell Science 115:1541-1549.
• LaFountain, J.R., Jr., Oldenbourg, R., Cole, R.W., and Rieder, C.L. 2001. Microtubule flux mediates poleward motion of acentric chromosome fragments during meiosis in insect spermatocytes. Molecular Biology of the Cell 12:4054-4065.