Dissecting the interplay between molecular and mechanical clues regulating cell migration and division

Tania Maffucci (primary)
Blizard Institute, Centre for Cell Biology and Cutaneous Research
Queen Mary University of London
John Connelly (secondary)
Blizard Institute, Centre for Cell Biology and Cutaneous Research
Queen Mary University of London

Abstract

Changes in cell shape are required for several cellular processes, including cell migration and mitosis and they are induced by mechanical forces acting at the cell surface. Several proteins have been identified to be responsible for generating these forces. In this project we will investigate the role of a family of lipids in modulation of mechanical forces during cell migration and mitosis. To better characterise the interplay between molecular and mechanical clues we will also define whether changes in the biophysical/mechanical properties of substrates affect the levels and localisation of these lipids during migration and mitosis.


References

1. Maffucci T. An introduction to phosphoinositides. Curr Top Microbiol Immunol. 2012;362:1-42.
2. Mavrommati I, Cisse O, Falasca M, Maffucci T. Novel roles for class II Phosphoinositide 3-Kinase C2β in signalling pathways involved in prostate cancer cell invasion. Sci Rep. 2016 Mar 17;6:23277.
3. Maffucci T, Cooke FT, Foster FM, Traer CJ, Fry MJ, Falasca M. Class II phosphoinositide 3-kinase defines a novel signaling pathway in cell migration. J Cell Biol. 2005 Jun 6;169(5):789-99.
4. Kenny FN, Drymoussi Z, Delaine-Smith R, Kao AP, Laly AC, Knight MM, Philpott MP, Connelly JT. Tissue stiffening promotes keratinocyte proliferation through activation of epidermal growth factor signaling. J Cell Sci. 2018 May 16;131(10).
5. Almeida FV, Walko G, McMillan JR, McGrath JA, Wiche G, Barber AH, Connelly JT. The cytolinker plectin regulates nuclear mechanotransduction in keratinocytes. J Cell Sci. 2015 Dec 15;128(24):4475-86.


BBSRC Area
Molecules, cells and industrial biotechnology
Area of Biology
Cell Biology
Techniques & Approaches
BiochemistryBiophysicsImage ProcessingMicroscopy / ElectrophysiologyMolecular Biology