Given the significant lifetime shortening of receptor-ligand interactions if subjected to tensile forces, how can bacteria and cells adhere when making first transient contacts? While lifetime shortening has indeed been observed for receptor-ligand interactions that form traditional slip bonds, some major classes of bacterial and cellular adhesions have recently been identified to form force-activated catch bonds.

Detailed insights into the mechanisms how catch bonds work are emerging. Recent research also reveals that cells exploit proteins as nanoscale switches that convert mechanical forces into biochemical signals that regulate diverse cell functions. Deciphering how proteins can serve as mechano-chemical signalling switches to regulate mechano transduction processes is thus not only essential to learn how cells probe and respond to their environments, but it has also far reaching implications in tissue engineering, systems biology and medicine. Insights into the mechanical designs might also stimulate new thoughts of how to engineer switches at the nanoscale.

This lecture is part of CHAINS 2011.

Praktische info

• Datum en tijd: 9:45-10:30, 30 november 2011
• Bezoekgegevens: CHAINS, DeFabrique, Maarssen
• Meer info: CHAINS