Bereiche | Tage | Auswahl | Suche | Aktualisierungen | Downloads | Hilfe

BP: Fachverband Biologische Physik

BP 39: Optogenetics for the Cytoskeleton - Focus Session organized by Ulrich Schwarz

BP 39.5: Hauptvortrag

Mittwoch, 22. März 2017, 11:15–11:45, SCH A251

Navigating the cytoskeleton: new tools to dissect and direct intracellular transport — •Lukas Kapitein — Utrecht University

Cellular organization depends on the cytoskeleton, a mechanical network of biopolymers that controls cell shape and strength, as well as on motor proteins that can move over these biopolymers to deliver cargo to specific subcellular compartments. Nevertheless, the precise mechanisms that control cytoskeletal organization, the function and dynamics of different motor proteins, and the precise functions of subcellular positioning are still poorly understood. In my lecture, I will highlight novel light-based technologies that enable addressing these questions with unprecedented precision. First of all, we successfully engineered a system to control the transport and positioning of intracellular components with light through the controlled recruitment of specific motor proteins. This allows us to directly explore the intracellular activity of motor proteins and the functional consequences of organelle mislocalization. In addition, we have engineered novel probes and methodology for the super-resolution imaging of the cytoskeleton. These approaches allow us to better resolve cytoskeletal organization in dense cellular compartments, such as the axons and dendrites of neurons. Together, these technologies hold great promises for exploring cellular organization and dynamics in health and disease.