Roberto Weigert, PhD - "Mechanisms of membrane remodeling in vivo: from physiology to disease"

Roberto Weigert, PhD
Intravital Microscopy Core,
Laboratory of Cellular and Molecular Biology
Center for Cancer Research,
National Cancer Institute,
NIH, Bethesda, Maryland, USA

Short CV

Abstract
Membrane remodeling plays a fundamental role in regulating several cellular events. Understanding the mechanisms underlying this highly dynamic process is of fundamental importance, since its dysregulation leads to a variety of pathologies, including cancer. Mechanical forces exerted by large cytoplasmic complexes are one of the primary mechanisms that drives membrane remodeling. Our research focuses on addressing two questions: the first, how extracellular cues are transduced into the mechanical forces required to remodel cellular membranes in live animals; the second, how dysregulation of membrane remodeling contributes to tumor initiation and progression. I will present data on how novel actomyosin cytoskeleton-based modules generate forces to control the remodeling of intracellular compartments and the plasma membrane in live animals during secretion and cell migration. Moreover, I will present a novel in vivo model system to perform longitudinal studies that enables the visualization of tumor initiation and progression within the same animal at an unprecedented level of resolution.