Eligible Student Poster 49th Lorne Conference on Protein Structure and Function 2024

Towards understanding cellular interpretation of morphogen signals (#107)

Laura Z Kreplin 1 2 , Senthil Arumugam 1 2
  1. Biomedicine Discovery Institute, Monash University , Clayton, Victoria, Australia
  2. EMBL Australia, Melbourne

Patterning processes and the formation of boundaries of cell-fate specification are crucial developmental steps in multi-cellular live. Many patterning processes depend on morphogen signalling which controls cell differentiation in a ligand concentration-dependent manner. While the molecules partaking in the signalling cascades as well as mechanisms which establish morphogen gradients within tissues have been elucidated, the molecular mechanisms that provide precise interpretation in a robust and tissue-wide manner are incompletely understood. Different morphogen signalling pathways share common features, including receptor endocytosis and signalling from endosomal compartments, which leads to the attractive hypothesis that there are common mechanisms cells utilise for robust signal interpretation that may transcend the individual biochemical pathway [1]. To understand these mechanisms of precise morphogen interpretation we are combining microfluidic gradient generators with live fluorescence imaging modalities to measure the receptor and organelle level responses to in vitro morphogen gradients. The imaging modalities include fluorescence correlation spectroscopy for measuring precise gradients and quantitative live cell imaging to capture evolution of endosomal numbers and consequent signalling events.

  1. [1] York, H. M., Coyle, J., & Arumugam, S. (2020). To be more precise: the role of intracellular trafficking in development and pattern formation. Biochemical Society transactions, 48(5), 2051–2066. https://doi.org/10.1042/BST20200223