Quantitative single-molecule imaging of ErbB receptor aggregation

• Applicant: Dr. Ulrich Odefey
• Subject Area: Biophysics
• Term: from 2010 to 2013
• Project identifier: Deutsche Forschungsgemeinschaft (DFG) - Project number 193391845

The behavior of living cells is heavily determined by stimuli they receive from their environment which are subsequently translated into different responses. Cells use a sophisticated signal transduction system which is activated by the recognition of such stimuli by specific membrane receptors. Recent experiments suggest that a differential combination of individual receptors into larger complexes at the cell membrane determines signal transduction. That means that not only the sheer number of receptors in single complexes but especially their composition determines the nature of the signal. We investigate this aggregation hypothesis using the family of ErbB receptors as a trial system. We plan to image the positions of ErbB receptors in different combinations via super-resolution fluorescence microscopy, novel image analysis algorithms combine the so-obtained data to a global ErbB-receptor map. Information about the composition of receptor complexes and their signaling effect is a prerequisite to develop novel therapeutic strategies against diseases like cancer. The implemented algorithms will furthermore facilitate the analysis of receptor families much more complex than the ErbB family.

• DFG Programme: Research Fellowships
• International Connection: USA
• Host: Professor Dr. Gaudenz Danuser