Molecular Mechanisms in Development

University Of California, San Francisco, San Francisco CA

Investigators

Linked publications & trials

Abstract

DESCRIPTION (provided by applicant): Our discovery of cytonemes, specialized filopodia that orient toward cells that express signaling proteins, suggest a novel mechanism to move signaling proteins between producing and target cells. This model postulates that signaling proteins move between cells in a manner similar to the way neurotransmitters move at neuronal synapses, that fundamentally, neurons and non-neuronal cells communicate in similar ways. Recent work from my lab now provides direct and convincing experimental evidence that cytonemes ferry signaling proteins between producing and receiving cells, strongly supporting the cytoneme model. Our work also identified several unexpected properties of cytonemes that have significant implications for mechanisms of signal transduction. The work proposed in this application will develop new tools for imaging cytonemes and will build upon our previous findings to determine the roles, composition and functions of these remarkable organelles.