CSB Departmental Seminar: Peter Roy, University of Toronto

Professor Peter Roy

Department of Molecular Genetics
University of Toronto
     
“Seeing the Beacon in the Storm: The EVA-1-Co-Receptor Enables UNC-40/DCC to Respond to a Localized Guidance Cue at the Expense of the more Globally-Distributed UNC-6/Netrin CUE”

Friday, September 26, 2014 at 2 p.m.
Ramsay Wright Building, Room 432

 Host:  Prof. Maurice Ringuette
 Video Conferencing at UTM (DV 4001) & UTSc (MW 229)

Abstract:

  
During animal development, cells and cell extensions migrate along
stereotypical paths to their target destination by interacting with
guidance cues in their environment. The guidance receptors on the
surface of these cells can each interact with several different cues,
and many of the cues can each interact with multiple receptors.
How a migrating cell can reach its target amid this apparent receptor-cue
promiscuity is poorly understood. Here, we extend our earlier investigation
of how the UNC-40 receptor, which is known to interact with the UNC-6
guidance cue, mediates attraction towards the MADD-4 guidance cue.
We show that another transmembrane protein called EVA-1 increases the
sensitivity of UNC-40 to MADD-4. This increase in sensitivity allows
UNC-40 to respond to MADD-4 in the presence of UNC-6. Without EVA-1,
UNC-6 dominates UNC-40 function and restricts its response to MADD-4.
Hence, the presence of EVA-1 acts like a switch to change UNC-40’s
sensitivity from UNC-6 to MADD-4, and in turn allows UNC-40-expressing cells
to migrate towards the source of MADD-4 within a field of the UNC-6 guidance cue.