ABSTRACT
First Person is a series of interviews with the first authors of a selection of papers published in Journal of Cell Science, helping researchers promote themselves alongside their papers. Rafael Lucena is first author on ‘ Casein kinase 1 controls components of a TORC2 signaling network in budding yeast’, published in JCS. Rafael conducted the research described in this article while an Associate Project Scientist in Douglas Kellogg's lab at the Department of Molecular, Cell and Developmental Biology, University of California, Santa Cruz, USA. He is now an Assistant Professor at the Department of Cell Biology, University of Seville, Spain, where his laboratory is dedicated to discovering conserved, broadly relevant mechanisms that control cell growth and size in all eukaryotic cells.
Rafael Lucena
How would you explain the main findings of your paper in lay terms?
Using yeast as a model organism, we are trying to understand how cells regulate their growth in response to nutrients. Here, we generate a new analog-sensitive allele of the conserved casein kinase to study the effect on the TORC2 network, one of the main pathways that regulates cell growth in eukaryotic cells.
Were there any specific challenges associated with this project? If so, how did you overcome them?
We had been working on this project intermittently for many years, but it was in January 2020 that we decided to go all in. Two months later, COVID-19 shook our lives. Moreover, I moved to Spain in September to start my own laboratory. But all's well that ends well, and finally we have been able to publish these results in a great journal.
When doing the research, did you have a particular result or ‘eureka’ moment that has stuck with you?
In vitro results are always challenging, but one particular outcome came about following a suggestion from the reviewers: Mss4 localizes at the daughter cell when casein kinases are inactive. We were never expecting that.
Why did you choose Journal of Cell Science for your paper?
Throughout my scientific career, I have grown up surrounded by great discoveries published in Journal of Cell Science. This journal is one of my favorites in the field because it has a great team behind it (editors and reviewers), and you know that your publication will benefit from that.
Mss4 localizes at the daughter cell when casein kinases are inactive. Confocal images of wild-type (WT) and yck2-as1 yck1Δ analog-sensitive yeast cells expressing Mss4–GFP in the presence or absence of the adenine analog inhibitor 3-MOB-PP1. In the presence of 3-MOB-PP1, yck2-as1 yck1Δ cells exhibit increased localization of Mss4–GFP to the cell periphery, as well as preferential localization of Mss4–GFP to the growing daughter bud.
Mss4 localizes at the daughter cell when casein kinases are inactive. Confocal images of wild-type (WT) and yck2-as1 yck1Δ analog-sensitive yeast cells expressing Mss4–GFP in the presence or absence of the adenine analog inhibitor 3-MOB-PP1. In the presence of 3-MOB-PP1, yck2-as1 yck1Δ cells exhibit increased localization of Mss4–GFP to the cell periphery, as well as preferential localization of Mss4–GFP to the growing daughter bud.
Have you had any significant mentors who have helped you beyond supervision in the lab? How was their guidance special?
First and foremost, my former mentor Doug Kellogg is undoubtedly an inspiration and someone I look up to as I begin this new chapter. I also want to thank my co-authors Akshi and Steph for all their help with the project – especially during the COVID times – and, of course, María Alcaide, who gave it the necessary push when we had a thousand things to do (my tenure!) and no time.
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?
When I was a child, I wanted to be Indiana Jones and discover things around the world. I think that my desire to uncover the unknown is what led me to become a scientist. As they say, the best part of science is knowing, even for a moment, something that no one else in the world knows. And on top of that, I get to travel the world to attend conferences and share my discoveries with other colleagues.
What's next for you?
I started my lab in December 2020 at the Department of Cell Biology, University of Seville. In a country where funding is scarce, I'm working to get my research off the ground and continue uncovering the mechanisms that regulate cell growth, using yeast as a model organism. Luckily, my partner (also part of this article) has started her own group in the same department, so the scientific highs and lows will be shared.
Tell us something interesting about yourself that wouldn't be on your CV
During my doctoral thesis, I was part of a couple of music bands. Strumming the guitar was the best way I found to forget about failed experiments. Nowadays, I enjoy traveling with my family and asking my daughters about how to design the next experiment. You never know where you might find the right answer.
Rafael Lucena's contact details: Department of Cell Biology, School of Biology, University of Seville, 41012, Seville, Spain.
E-mail: [email protected]
