Title: Biomimetic emulsions for studying protein-protein interactions

Author (Snapshot): Leah Friedman, Brujic lab NYU

Abstract:

Cadherins are an important class of cell-adhesion proteins that play a crucial role in development, tissue integrity, and cancer invasion. However, the process of cadherin aggregation at sites of cell-cell adhesion is poorly understood. It is believed to be mediated by lateral cis interactions between the cadherin molecules. Using an emulsion-based biomimetic system, we study the role of cis interactions in cell adhesion. Emulsion droplets grafted with cadherin are placed into a well and their packing structure is analyzed with confocal microscopy. We compare the packing of cis-mutant cadherins with that of wild type cadherins. Preliminary data show that the decrease in adhesion due to the lack of cis interactions causes the coordination number to increase. Furthermore, we investigate the arrangement and fluidity of cadherins at the adhesion sites. Fluorescence recovery after photobleaching (FRAP) experiments suggest that while wild type cadherin adhesion sites are solid-like, the mutant cadherin ones are more fluid-like.