A5038493622- Cellular Mechanics and Interactions
- Lipid Membrane Structure and Behavior
- Advanced Fluorescence Microscopy Techniques
- Microtubule and mitosis dynamics
- Micro and Nano Robotics
- Force Microscopy Techniques and Applications
- Nuclear Structure and Function
- 3D Printing in Biomedical Research
- Cell Image Analysis Techniques
- Advanced Electron Microscopy Techniques and Applications
- Developmental Biology and Gene Regulation
- Biocrusts and Microbial Ecology
- Hippo pathway signaling and YAP/TAZ
- Advanced Thermodynamics and Statistical Mechanics
- Mitochondrial Function and Pathology
- Spectroscopy and Quantum Chemical Studies
- Antimicrobial Peptides and Activities
- bioluminescence and chemiluminescence research
- Molecular Junctions and Nanostructures
- Planarian Biology and Electrostimulation
- Heat shock proteins research
- Cancer Cells and Metastasis
- Immune cells in cancer
- Retinal Development and Disorders
- Spaceflight effects on biology
Centre for Genomic Regulation
2016-2025
Institució Catalana de Recerca i Estudis Avançats
2023-2025
Universitat Pompeu Fabra
2016-2024
Barcelona Institute for Science and Technology
2017-2024
Centre d’Immunologie de Marseille-Luminy
2021
Institute of Science and Technology Austria
2014-2016
Johannes Kepler University of Linz
2008-2011
Heidelberg University
2011
3D amoeboid cell migration is central to many developmental and disease-related processes such as cancer metastasis. Here, we identify a unique prototypic mode in early zebrafish embryos, termed stable-bleb migration. Stable-bleb cells display an invariant polarized balloon-like shape with exceptional speed persistence. Progenitor can be reversibly transformed into irrespective of their primary fate motile characteristics by increasing myosin II activity through biochemical or mechanical...
The nucleus makes the rules Single cells continuously experience and react to mechanical challenges in three-dimensional tissues. Spatial constraints dense tissues, physical activity, injury all impose changes cell shape. How can measure shape deformations ensure correct tissue development homeostasis remains largely unknown (see Perspective by Shen Niethammer). Working independently, Venturini et al. Lomakin now show that act as an intracellular ruler cellular variations. nuclear envelope...
During metazoan development, the temporal pattern of morphogen signaling is critical for organizing cell fates in space and time. Yet, tools temporally controlling within embryo are still scarce. Here, we developed a photoactivatable Nodal receptor to determine how affects fate specification during zebrafish gastrulation. By using this manipulate duration vivo by light, show that extended organizer promotes prechordal plate suppresses endoderm differentiation. Endoderm differentiation...
Abstract Uncontrolled secretion of ECM proteins, such as collagen, can lead to excessive scarring and fibrosis compromise tissue function. Despite the widespread occurrence fibrotic diseases scarring, effective therapies are lacking. A promising approach would be limit amount collagen released from hyperactive fibroblasts. We have designed membrane permeant peptide inhibitors that specifically target primary interface between TANGO1 cTAGE5, an interaction is required for export endoplasmic...
Abstract Colorectal cancer (CRC) tumors are composed of heterogeneous and plastic cell populations, including a pool stem cells that express LGR5. Whether these distinct populations display different mechanical properties, how properties might contribute to metastasis is poorly understood. Using CRC patient derived organoids (PDOs), we find compared LGR5- cells, LGR5+ stiffer, adhere better the extracellular matrix (ECM), move slower both as single clusters, higher nuclear YAP, show survival...
Abstract Quantifying the mechanical response of biological milieu (such as cell’s interior) and complex fluids biomolecular condensates) would enable a better understanding cellular differentiation aging accelerate drug discovery. Here we present time-shared optical tweezer microrheology to determine frequency- age-dependent viscoelastic properties materials. Our approach involves splitting single laser beam into two near-instantaneous traps carry out simultaneous force displacement...
The plasma membrane has been hypothesized to contain nanoscopic lipid platforms, which are discussed in the context of “lipid rafts” or “membrane rafts.” Based on biochemical and cell biological studies, rafts believed play a crucial role many signaling processes. However, there is currently not much information their size, shape, stability, surface density, composition, heterogeneity. We present here method that allows for first time direct imaging long-lived platforms with raft-like...
We present a structured illumination microscopy based point localization estimator (SIMPLE) that achieves 2-fold increase in single molecule precision compared to conventional centroid estimation methods. SIMPLE advances the recently introduced MINFLUX concept by using precisely phase-shifted sinusoidal wave patterns as nanometric rulers for simultaneous particle on photon count variation over 20 μm field of view. validate silico and experimentally TIRF-SIM setup digital micro-mirror device...
Through the asymmetric distribution of messenger RNAs (mRNAs), cells spatially regulate gene expression to create cytoplasmic domains with specialized functions. In neurons, mRNA localization is required for essential processes such as cell polarization, migration, and synaptic plasticity underlying long-term memory formation. The components driving transport in neurons mammalian are not known. We report first reconstitution a system revealing that tumor suppressor adenomatous polyposis coli...
Retinal photoreceptors have a distinct transcriptomic profile compared to other neuronal subtypes, likely reflecting their unique cellular morphology and function in the detection of light stimuli by way ciliary outer segment. We discovered layer this molecular specialization revealing that vertebrate retina expresses largest number tissue-enriched microexons all tissue types. A subset these is included exclusively photoreceptor transcripts, particularly genes involved cilia biogenesis...
Cells exist in different phenotypes and can transition between them. A phenotype may be characterized by many aspects. Here, we focus on the example of whether cell is adhered or suspended choose particular parameters related to structure mechanics actin cortex. The cortex essential mechanics, morphology, function, such as for adhesion, migration, division animal cells. To predict control cellular functions prevent malfunctioning, it necessary understand governs mechanics; however,...
Resolving the dynamical interplay of proteins and lipids in live-cell plasma membrane represents a central goal current cell biology. Superresolution concepts have introduced means capturing spatial heterogeneity at nanoscopic length scale. Similar for detecting transitions (superresolution chronoscopy) are still lacking. Here, we show that recently spot-variation fluorescence correlation spectroscopy allows sensing transient confinement times constituents dramatically improved resolution....
Abstract Super-resolution fluorescence microscopy has become a powerful tool in cell biology to observe sub-cellular organization and molecular details below the diffraction limit of light. methods are generally classified into three main concepts: stimulated emission depletion (STED), single molecule localization (SMLM) structured illumination (SIM). Here, we highlight novel concept modulation-enhanced (meLM) which designate as 4 th super-resolution method. Recently, series have emerged,...
Nonadherent polarized cells have been observed to a pearlike, elongated shape. Using minimal model that describes the cell cortex as thin layer of contractile active gel, we show anisotropy stresses, controlled by cortical viscosity and filament ordering, can account for this morphology. The predicted shapes be determined from flow pattern only; they prove independent mechanism at origin flow, are only weakly sensitive cytoplasmic rheology. In case actin flows resulting instability, propose...
Experimentalists are increasingly confronted with the demand to single out rare interaction events under a vast excess of non-interacting molecules. We recently presented an approach how virtually dilute fluorescently labeled membrane constituents by combining photobleaching and molecule microscopy, termed "Thinning Out Clusters while Conserving Stoichiometry Labeling" (TOCCSL; Moertelmaier et al., Appl. Phys. Lett., 2005, 87, 263903). Using this approach, microscopy can be performed even at...
Abstract Regulation of microtubule (MT) dynamics is key for mitotic spindle assembly and faithful chromosome segregation. Here we show that polyglutamylation, a still understudied post-translational modification MTs, essential to define their within the range required error-free We identify TTLL11 as an enzyme driving MT polyglutamylation in mitosis reducing levels human cells or zebrafish embryos compromises segregation fidelity impairs early embryonic development. Our data reveal mechanism...
Abstract Bioluminescence microscopy is an appealing alternative to fluorescence microscopy, because it does not depend on external illumination, and consequently neither produce spurious background autofluorescence, nor perturb intrinsically photosensitive processes in living cells animals. The low photon emission of known luciferases, however, demands long exposure times that are prohibitive for imaging fast biological dynamics. To increase the versatility bioluminescence we present...
Abstract Spontaneous locomotion is a common feature of most metazoan cells, generally attributed to the fundamental properties actomyosin network. This force-producing machinery has been studied down minute molecular details, especially in lamellipodium-driven migration. Nevertheless, how networks work inside contraction-driven amoeboid cells still lacks unifying principles. Here, using stable motile blebs as model system, we image dynamics actin cortex at single filament level and reveal...
In the past decade carbon nanotubes (CNTs) have been widely studied as a potential drug-delivery system, especially with functionality for cellular targeting. Yet, little is known about actual process of docking to cell receptors and transport dynamics after internalization. Here we performed single-particle studies folic acid (FA) mediated CNT binding human carcinoma cells their inside cytosol. particular, employed molecular recognition force spectroscopy, an atomic microscopy based method,...