Invited Paper BI+AS+NS-ThA1
Spatial Organization and the Mechanics of Signal Transduction in Cell Membranes

Thursday, November 12, 2009, 2:00 pm, Room K

Signal transduction in living cells is carried out through cascades of chemical reactions, which generally begin on the cell membrane surface.

In recent years, there has been growing realization that the large-scale spatial arrangement of cell surface receptors can regulate the outcome of ensuing signal transduction process. Signaling through the T cell receptor (TCR) in the context of the immunological synapse provides a case in point. Spatial reorganization of TCRs occurs on multiple length-scales, and apparently with multiple purposes, during antigen recognition by T cells. The cell membrane and cytoskeleton, working as an inseparable unit in this case, create the mechanical framework within which TCR signaling processes occur. To better study these phenomena, a new experimental strategy, in which the spatial positions of cell membrane receptors are directly manipulated through mechanical means, has emerged. By physically inducing a 'spatial mutation' of the signali ng apparatus, the role of spatial organization in signal transduction as well as the mechanisms by which it arises can be illuminated. Specific applications of this strategy to TCR signaling and other cell-cell signaling systems will be discussed.