Naslov
Influence of cell shape on dynamics of Rac1

Autori
Ivšić Blaž ; Šoštar Marko ; Vuletić Tomislav ; Weber Igor

Vrsta, podvrsta i kategorija rada
Sažeci sa skupova, neobjavljeni rad, znanstveni

Izvornik
15th Easter Biophysics Workshop (EBW2022) : Book of Abstracts / - , 2022

Skup
15th Easter Biophysics Workshop

Mjesto i datum
Tainach, Austrija, 19.04.2022. - 20.04.2022

Vrsta sudjelovanja
Predavanje

Vrsta recenzije
Podatak o recenziji nije dostupan

Ključne riječi
Reaction–diffusion systems ; Finite element method ; Actin cytoskeleton ; Cell motility ; Rho GTPases

Sažetak
Cell movement depends on actin polymerization, which is regulated by signal proteins like small GTPases. It is known that activity of these proteins in eukaryotic cells is structured in spatiotemporal patterns like traveling and stationary waves, which in hand serve as templates for polarization of the actin cytoskeleton into functional domains. Patterns in protein concentrations are formed due to dynamic instabilities originating from non- linear protein interactions. (1) We made a 2D reaction diffusion model which simulates spatiotemporal patterns in protein concentrations using finite-elements method (FEM). We can apply it to a range of model cells shaped as circles, squares, ellipses and rectangles. Our interest is to examine the influence of cell geometry on pattern forming. Laser confocal microscopy provides the data on the movement of a fluorescent probe that specifically binds to the active form of Rac1 GTPase in vegetative Dyctiostelium cells. (2) With photolithography we prepared adhesive islands in non-adhesive polymer coating of PLL-PEG on glass slides. The islands were designed in the respective geometric shapes that we can model. Currently, with LCM we are studying whether the cells adopt those shapes and record the spatiotemporal patterns of the probe. We are testing whether our model is applicable, i.e. whether, according to the underlying experimental condition – the cell shape we can tweak the model to simulate the microscopy data.

Izvorni jezik
Engleski

Znanstvena područja
Fizika, Biologija

POVEZANOST RADA