The abstract book can be downloaded here and picture of participants is here.
Cell motility plays key roles in organismal development, physiology and disease. Movement requires coordinated regulation of cellular protrusions, adhesion, and contractile forces. Migrating cells respond to environmental cues and integrate these signals to coordinate the dynamic cytoskeletal remodeling underlying movement. Recent advances in imaging, biochemical purification and genetics have resulted in an explosion in the study of movement at the molecular, cellular and organismal levels.
The goal of this meeting is to bring together young scientists and leading experts in different aspects of cell migration to discuss recent developments in the field and emerging technologies. The meeting will initially start with two 45 minute talks, discussing the role of Src/FAK kinases and Rho GTPases in the regulation of cell adhesion and motility during tumourigenesis. Following on from this exciting and thought provoking start, we will then focus on the molecular and biophysical aspects of the regulation of actin polymerization and organization. From there we will examine how signalling networks regulate and integrate the actin cytoskeleton, membrane trafficking, cell adhesion and polarity to determine cellular output. Lastly, we will turn our attention on model organisms and in vivo approaches to understand how regulation of the actin cytoskeleton impacts on cellular organization of tissues and cell migration during normal development and tumour cell invasion.
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Reorganizing the actin cytoskeleton during cell spreading. Spreading mouse embryo fibroblasts were fixed and stained to detect filamentous actin (red), the actin binding protein Eps8 (green) and the membrane deforming protein, IRSp53 (blue). |
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Endocytic dependent changes in cell morphology. Hela cells expressing Rab5 were fixed and stained to detect filamentous actin (green) and Rab5 (red). The expression of Rab5 promotes elongated cell shape, the formation of lamellipodia and various actin clusters. |
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Cell shape alterations following the expression of Rab5, a key endocytic regulators. HeLa cells expressing Rab5 were fixed and stained to detect filamentous actin (red), or Rab5 (blue) or EEA1 (green), a bona fide marker of early endosome. |
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Removal of Abi1 causes a dramatic alteration of cell shape during spreading with the generation of multiple spiky filopodia-like protrusions. HeLa cells knocked down for Abi1 were seeded on fibronectin-coated coverslips. After 20 min, cells were fixed and stained to detect filamentous actin (green). |
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Rab5 promotes the formation of migratory lamellipodia. HeLa cells expressing Rab5 were seeded on 2D substrates, fixed and stained to detect Rab5 (red) or filamentous actin (green). Cells expressing the endocytic regulators Rab5 forms large protrusive lamellipodia. |
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Rab5 promotes an amoeboid-to-mesenchymal transition in the morphology of cell migration. HeLa cells expressing Rab5 were embedded in 3D collagen Type I matrix, fixed and stained to detect Rab5 (red) and filamentous actin (green). Rab5 expressing cells extend multiple protrusions in 3D. |
We look forward to welcoming you to Lake Maggiore The Organisers
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