ABSTRACT
First Person is a series of interviews with the first authors of a selection of papers published in Journal of Cell Science, helping early-career researchers promote themselves alongside their papers. Anahi Capmany is first author on ‘MYO1C stabilizes actin and facilitates the arrival of transport carriers at the Golgi complex’, published in JCS. Anahi conducted the research described in this article while a postdoc in Kristine Schauer's Molecular Mechanisms of Intracellular Transport group at the Institut Curie (Paris, France). She is now a researcher in the lab of Maria Teresa Damiani (School of Medicine FCM-UNCUYO, CONICET, Mendoza, Argentina), investigating the functions of myosins and Rab proteins during infection by Chlamydia trachomatis, a sexually transmitted intracellular bacterium.
Anahi Capmany
How would you explain the main findings of your paper in lay terms?
It has previously been described that myosins, which are cellular machines, pull on intracellular compartments to tear cargo from them. However, we find that one of these myosins, MYO1C, is required for the arrival of cargos at intracellular compartments. We think that the function of MYO1C is to stabilize a scaffold around different compartments that allows better docking of cargo.
Were there any specific challenges associated with this project? If so, how did you overcome them?
The biggest challenge in this project was to find the reason behind the changes in the density maps corresponding to the Golgi complex, we observed after MYO1C depletion. We had to characterize the morphological alterations of the Golgi and to study the underlying mechanisms. We considered direct interactions between MYO1C and proteins from the Golgi complex as well as any actin rearrangement MYO1C could induce by being an actin-dependent motor. To determine which mechanism was the cause of the observed phenotype took us more than a year of work. We used state-of-the-art techniques, such as mass spectrometry, pull-down assays, yeast two-hybrid assays, video microscopy, overexpression of different mutants and knockdown of different proteins, among others.
When doing the research, did you have a particular result or ‘eureka’ moment that has stuck with you?
When we averaged the actin staining from many cells that were normalized on adhesive micropatterns, we realized that less F-actin was present after depletion of MYO1C. This made us realize that MYO1C must stabilize actin!
Why did you choose Journal of Cell Science for your paper?
We chose JCS because it is an excellent journal in the field of cell biology, and is scientifically rigorous and prestigious. Moreover, many papers that I used for inspiration during this particular research project had been published in JCS. Another important factor was the short amount of time that the journal usually takes to pass decisions: I had to leave the laboratory sooner than expected because I obtained a position in Argentina. We worked on the manuscript collaboratively, but 15,000 km apart. It was a challenge, because all of us had new projects running. Yet, with emails and Skype, we got it! I wanted to return to the lab to work on the revision but we knew that we had limited time, thus, a prompt decision was crucial for us.
Have you had any significant mentors who have helped you beyond supervision in the lab? How was their guidance special?
I consider my supervisor Kristine Schauer as my mentor. She is an incredible person, full of energy and always positive; she also possesses a critical point of view and is highly efficient. She has always encouraged me to progress, and to go for what I want regardless of the potential failure. The way that she lives for every moment, and her convictions, are a source of inspiration to me. From my point of view, she has achieved the perfect balance between an excellent scientific career and a fulfilling personal life.
What motivated you to pursue a career in science, and what have been the most interesting moments on the path that led you to where you are now?
Since I was a child, I have always been attracted to biology. When I started university, a degree in biology and research was my choice without hesitation. Walter Berón, a professor at my university, guided, motivated and introduced me to research. The passion he communicated through his lectures is something that has always stayed with me, and his advice today continues to be useful to me. Another important event was an international course organized by the Institut Curie together with the IHEM (Institute of Histology and Embryology from Mendoza) ten years ago. I had the opportunity to listen to top-level seminars showing the latest techniques. I was fascinated. From there, I knew that science was my place and I would do a postdoc at a great institute.
Immunofluorescence analysis of a crossbow-shaped micropatterned hTertRPE1 cell shows that a small pool of MYO1C (green) is found at the Golgi complex (magenta).
Who are your role models in science? Why?
My role models in science are Marie Curie and Bernardo Houssay. Both share an incredible passion, a history of struggle and great conviction, and both were and will be a source of inspiration for science. Besides having been an excellent scientist and the first person to receive two Nobel prizes, for me, Marie Curie is an icon in women's fight for equality. She began to study in a society that opposed higher education for women. Her perseverance and tenacity, her achievements and thirst for knowledge, represent the ideals of a scientific investigator worldwide. Bernardo Houssay is an Argentinian scientist who won the Nobel Prize for Physiology and Medicine in 1947. Besides having been an excellent scientist, he was a man devoted to truth and a defender of freedom, who promoted science in Argentina. He resisted the hostility of a military dictatorship and decided to continue research in Argentina although he was expelled from university. He created and presided over great scientific associations in Argentina, and mentored excellent scientists, such as Luis Federico Leloir.
What's next for you?
I obtained a position in Argentina, and I plan to start my lab here. I want to study the role of myosins and kinesins during infection by Chlamydia trachomatis. This bacterium is an obligate intracellular pathogen and the most frequent sexually transmitted bacterium. In women, it can cause cervicitis, pelvic inflammatory disease and infertility. Further advancement in the study of strategies used by C. trachomatis to modify vesicular traffic, polarity and cell division will allow us to design new pharmacological tools to prevent infection.
Tell us something interesting about yourself that wouldn't be on your CV
One of my passions is trekking; outdoor walks make me feel full of energy. I love the mountains and use every chance that I get to climb them.
What do you enjoy most about a scientific career?
I have beautiful friendships with people from different parts of the world like Algeria, Japan, France, Germany and India. If it had not been for my work, I would never have known them. For me, this is one of the most enriching aspects that this profession has to offer.
Anahi Capmany's contact details: School of Medicine FCM-UNCUYO, CONICET, Mendoza, Argentina.
E-mail: [email protected]