Friedrich Miescher Institute for Biomedical Research
Maulbeerstrasse 66
4058 Basel, Switzerland
Email: ruth.chiquet@fmi.ch
Secretary: Isabella Bogdal
Phone: +41 61 697 66 53
Cell communication in growth control and differentiation
Normal development depends on cell-cell and cell-extracellular matrix (ECM) interactions. Cancer cells are impaired in cell adhesion and have lost the ability to respond properly to their environment, which results in overgrowth and metastatic behaviour. In contrast to the ECM of normal tissues, tumour ECM contains markedly increased amounts of tenascin-C and less fibronectin. Therefore, we investigate the anti-adhesive and tumour growth-promoting function of the ECM protein family of tenascins. We analyse the interaction between tenascins and fibronectin and the intracellular signalling pathways in- duced by cell adhesion to these ECM proteins. We have discovered a novel cell surface re- ceptor family that we have termed teneurins. These are transmembrane proteins with a cytoplasmic domain involved in signal transduction and a large extracellular part involved in cell-cell interactions. We are studying their function in adhesion signalling that regulates cell survival, proliferation and differentiation. We use molecular and cell biological techniques with cell cultures and with chicken and Caenorhabditis elegans for in vivo studies.
