Vav2-mediated cell migration

SUMMARY OF PROPOSAL FOR PUBLIC RELEASE The ability of cells to move is a fundamental process common to all species, from humans to the invisible microbes. The strategies used for cell movement by the different species are highly conserved such that studying how a human cell moves will help to understand how microbes move and vice versa. The movement of cells, also referred to as cellular migration is required for all aspects of life, from how the embryo divides to how a wound heals on our hand, to why all the cells in our body stick together. The reason why the mechanisms involved in cellular migration are conserved amongst the species is because many of the proteins required to mediate movement are conserved as well. These proteins cause the movement of a cell by communicating with each other such that messages are transmitted throughout the cell telling it when to move/stay/change shape/move in the opposite direction or just stop. My research team has recently discovered a group of proteins that communicate with each other by direct physical contact. We are currently studying what this new protein interaction means and how the new communication conduit is able to change the behaviour of the cell. What we uncover with our experiments will provide insight into how cells move at a molecular level and provide a possible strategy to alter the movement of cells.