细胞趋触性和趋硬性运动中蛋白质机器的研究

The Protein-machine Study in Haptotaxis and Durotaxis

生命体每时每刻都处于运动变化中。细胞也同样具有运动的性质。定向迁移是细胞运动的关键形式,也是对外界环境和信号的重要应答。细胞定向运动主要分为趋化性、趋触性和趋硬性3种。相比趋化性运动,趋触性和趋硬性运动中关键蛋白质机器的研究相对缺乏。但这两种定向运动在胚胎发育、伤口愈合和免疫反应等生理过程中发挥重要作用,其异常则广泛存在于癌症转移、发育畸形和慢性炎症等病理过程中。本研究将从细胞骨架和细胞迁移,细胞力学和生物建模以及生物信息学和蛋白质机器的结构研究等方面入手,从多个角度深入研究趋触性和趋硬性这两种细胞定向运动中关键蛋白质机器的结构、功能和调控机理这一关键科学问题。

Life is always changeable as well as cell motility. Directed cell migration is the main form of cell motility to response to external environment and signals. Direct- ed cell migration is divided into three types： chemotax- is, haptotaxis and durotaxis. The proteins involved in hapotaxis and durotaxis were less studied compared with chemotaxis. However, these two types of directed mi- gration play important roles in development of embryo, wound healing and immune response, while its abnor- mal alterations are widely existed in cancer metastasis, developmental deformity and chronic inflammation. In this project, the key proteins involved in haptotaxis and durotaxis will be intensively studied from the cytoskele- ton and migration in structures, functions and regula tions by combined methods of cell mechanics, biological modeling and bioinformation.