Molecular Interactions between CD21/35 & the Actin Cytoskeleton in Follicular Dendritic Cells are Regulated by Cell-ECM Traction Forces

Germinal Center B Cell Fitness Cells and Follicular Dendritic Cells Influence Integrin-Mediated Interactions between B

Measuring traction forces of motile dendritic cells on micropost arrays.

Dendritic cells (DCs) migrate from sites of inflammation to secondary lymphoid organs where they initiate the adaptive immune response. Although motility is essential to DC function, the mechanisms by which they migrate are not fully understood. We incorporated micropost array detectors into a microfluidic gradient generator to develop what we consider to be a novel method for probing low magni...

Traction forces exerted by epithelial cell sheets.

Whereas the adhesion and migration of individual cells have been well described in terms of physical forces, the mechanics of multicellular assemblies is still poorly understood. Here, we study the behavior of epithelial cells cultured on microfabricated substrates designed to measure cell-to-substrate interactions. These substrates are covered by a dense array of flexible micropillars whose de...

Interactions between plant endomembrane systems and the actin cytoskeleton

Membrane trafficking, organelle movement, and morphogenesis in plant cells are mainly controlled by the actin cytoskeleton. Not all proteins that regulate the cytoskeleton and membrane dynamics in animal systems have functional homologs in plants, especially for those proteins that form the bridge between the cytoskeleton and membrane; the membrane-actin adaptors. Their nature and function is o...

Molecular Links between Endocytosis and the Actin Cytoskeleton

The endocytosis process is of critical importance for a variety of cellular life functions. Vesicle formation during receptor-mediated endocytosis involves a complex protein machinery and additional proteins to control it. Although our understanding of this endocytic machinery has grown rapidly during the last decade, little is known about how it interconnects functionally with the cortical cyt...