Function of the spectrin skeleton in cell migration in vertebrates and invertebrates

Isabel Palacios (primary)
School of Biological and Chemical Sciences
Queen Mary University of London
Caroline Brennan (secondary)
School of Biological and Chemical Sciences
Queen Mary University of London

Abstract

Spectrins are conserved in all eukaryotes and they are thought to crosslink actin to the plasma membrane, forming a mechanically deformable skeleton that lies directly below the membrane. Although spectrins have been studied in erythrocytes, little is known about their function in other cell types. This project aims to characterise the function of the spectrin skeleton in cell migration in vivo, both in vertebrates and invertebrates. This will be achieved by analysing the function of spectrins in the migration of the primordial germ cells in fish and flies, as well as the migration of muscle stem cells in fish.


References

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BBSRC Area
Genes, development and STEM* approaches to biology
Area of Biology
Cell BiologyDevelopment
Techniques & Approaches
BiochemistryBiophysicsGeneticsImage ProcessingMathematics / StatisticsMicroscopy / ElectrophysiologyMolecular Biology