• B.Sc. - Chemistry, Ben-Gurion Univ., Beer-Sheva, Israel 1977

• M.Sc. - Chemistry, Ben-Gurion Univ., Beer-Sheva, Israel 1980

• Ph.D. - Chemistry, Ben-Gurion Univ., Beer-Sheva, Israel 1985

• 1989-93 - Assistant Researcher, PBRC University of Hawaii
  1987-89 - Junior Researcher, PBRC University of Hawaii
  1985-87 - Research Fellow, Biology Division, California Institute of Technology

Research Specialities

Signaling pathways are important in organizing cytoskeletal systems, and regulating processes that depend on them. In yeast, the roles of signal transduction in the processes of polarized growth, actin cytoskeleton organization and cell wall synthesis are well established. However, information on the role of such pathways in processes relating to microtubule dynamics and function is fragmented and the underlying mechanisms are relatively less understood. Microtubules are involved in several important processes in the eukaryotic cell including chromosome segregation in mitosis and meiosis, transport of vesicles and organelles and the movement of cilia and flagella. The crucial role of microtubules in cell division makes the understanding of mechanisms that regulate their activities especially important in cancer research. Therefore, any new knowledge on factors that affect and regulate microtubule function is important to our basic understanding of cells in health and in disease.

Our main interest is to understand how molecular components and signaling pathways affect microtubules and microtubule-dependent processes. We currently test the relations between microtubule structure and MAP kinase pathways that are responsible for maintaining normal function under stress conditions. These studies exploit recent findings resulting from work done in our laboratory in which we identified genes which function in these pathways that suppress mutations in microtubule-associated motor proteins that perform anaphase chromosome separation.

Supported by a grant from NIH

A few highlights from publications in major journals:
• Korolyev, E., Steinberg-Neifach, O. and Eshel, D. (2005) Mutations in the yeast kinesin-like Cin8p are alleviated by osmotic support. FEMS Micro. Let. 244: 379-383.
• Steinberg-Neifach, O. and Eshel, D. (2002) Heterozygosity in MAT locus affects stability and function of microtubules in yeast. Biol. Cell 94: 147-156.
• Steinberg-Neifach, O., Braunstein, M.J. and Eshel, D. (2001) Rapid assessment of budding pattern by cell morphology in the yeast Saccharomyces cerevisiae. BioTech. 31: 482-486.
• Steinberg-Neifach, O. and Eshel, D (2000) Opposite mating-type regulatory genes suppress mutations in yeast microtubule motor proteins. Mol. Gen. Genet. 264: 300-305.
• Eshel, D. (1995) Functional Dissection of the dynein motor domain. Cell Motil. Cytoskel. 32: 133-135.
• Saunders, W.S., Koshland, D., Eshel, D, Gibbons, I.R. and Hoyt, M.A. (1995) S. cerevisiae kinesin- and dynein- related proteins required for anaphase chromosome segregation. J. Cell Biol. 128: 6 17-624.
• Shingyoji, C., Yoshimura, K., Eshel, D., Takahashi, K. and Gibbons, I.R. (1995) Effect of beat frequency on the velocity of microtubule sliding in reactivated sea urchin sperm flagella under imposed head vibration. J. Exp. Biol. 198: 645-653.
• Eshel, D. Urrestarazu, L. A., Vissers, S., Jauniaux, J.-C., van Vliet-Reedijk, J.C., Planta, R.J. and Gibbons, I.R. (1993). Cytoplasmic dynein is required for normal nuclear segregation in yeast. Proc. Natl. A cad. Sd. USA 90: 11172-11176.
• Eshel, D., Shingyoji, C., Yoshimura, K., Gibbons, I. R. and Takahashi, K. (1992). The phase of sperm flagellar beating is not conserved over a brief imposed interruption. Exp. Cell Res. 202: 552-555.
• Murray J. M. and Eshel, D. (1992). Evanescent wave microscopy: a simple optical configuration. J. Microsc. 167: 49-62.
• Eshel, D., Shingyoji, C., Yoshimura, K., Gibbons, I. R. and Takahashi, K. (1991). Evidence for an inequality in the forces that generate principal and reverse bends in sperm flagella. J. Cell Sci. 100: 213-2 18.
• Takahashi, K., Shingyoji, C., Katada, J., Eshel, D. and Gibbons, I. R. (1991). Polarity in spontaneous unwinding after prior rotation of the flagellar beat plane in sea urchin spermatozoa. J. Cell Sci. 98: 183-189.
• Eshel, D., Shingyoji, C., Yoshimura, K., Gibbons, B. H., Gibbons, I. R. and Takahashi, K. (1990). Transient behavior of sea urchin sperm flagella following an abrupt change in beat frequency. J. Exp. Biol. 152:441-451.
• Eshel, D. and Gibbons, I. R. (1989). External mechanical control of the timing of bend initiation in sea urchin sperm flagella. Cell Motil. Cytoskel. 14: 416-423.
• Eshel, D. and Brokaw, C. J. (1988). Determination of the average shape of flagellar bends. Cell Motil. Cytoskel. 9: 312-324.
• Ovadyahu, D., Eshel, D. and Priel, Z. (1988). Intensification of ciliary motility by extracellular ATP. Biorheol. 25:489-502.
• Eshel, D. and Brokaw, C. J. (1987). New evidence for a Ôbiased baseline* mechanism for calcium-regulated asymmetry of flagellar bending. Cell Motil. Cytoskel. 7:160-168.
• Eshel, D. and Priel, Z. (1987). Characterization of metachronal wave of beating cilia on frog*s palate epithelium
• in tissue culture. J. Physiol. 388: 1-8.
• Eshel, D. and Priel, Z. (1986). Spectral characterization of ciliary beating: Temperature dependence of spectral parameters. Bzoplzys. Chem. 25: 2 15-222.
• Eshel, D. and Priel, Z. (1986). Spectral characterization of ciiary beating: Biological meaning of the spectral linewidth. Biophys. Chem. 23: 261-265.
• Eshel, D., Grossman, Y. and Priel, Z. (1985). Spectral characterization of ciliary beating: Variations of frequency with time. Amer. J. Physiol. 249: C160-C165.