The role of force application in immune cell recognition is now well established, the force being transmitted between the actin cytoskeleton to the anchoring ligands through receptors such as integrins. In this chain, the mechanics of the cytoskeleton to receptor link, though clearly crucial, remains poorly understood. To probe this link, we combine mechanical extraction of membrane tubes from T cells using optical tweezers, and fitting of the resulting force curves with a viscoelastic model taking into account the cell and relevant molecules. We solicit this link using four different antibodies against various membrane bound receptors: antiCD3 to target the T Cell Receptor (TCR) complex, antiCD45 for the long sugar CD45, and two clones of antiCD11 targeting open or closed conformation of LFA1 integrins. Upon disruption of the cytoskeleton, the stiffness of the link changes for two of the receptors, exposing the existence of a receptor to cytoskeleton link—namely TCR-complex and open LFA1, and does not change for the other two where a weaker link was expected. Our integrated approach allows us to probe, for the first time, the mechanics of the intracellular receptor–cytoskeleton link in immune cells.
Save the date: seminar on October, 10th
Cyril Favard (IRIM, Montpelier) will visit the Luminy Campus on Tuesday, October 10th, at the Hexagon (library). He will present his work on “Mechanism of HIV-1 assembly on cell membranes: insights from single/few molecule dynamics”.
Welcome Aurélien DUMETRE and Magali CASANOVA to Our Research Team!
We are delighted to announce the newest additions to our research team, Aurélien Dumetre and Magali Casanova! With great enthusiasm, we extend a warm welcome to them as they join us in our quest for cutting-edge research and innovation.
Aurélien Dumetre, an associate professor in parasitology at Aix-Marseille University, brings invaluable expertise to our team. His focus on studying host-pathogen interactions, with current research spanning mechanobiology of coccidia, responses to food and water decontamination treatments, and transport dynamics of coccidia in soils. Aurélien also has a keen interest in amoeba-pathogen interactions.
Magali Casanova, also an associate professor in parasitology at Aix-Marseille University, contributes her expertise in amoeba-pathogen interactions at the molecular and cellular scales. Her research, covering phagocytosis, migration, and cytoskeleton reorganization in response to environmental modifications.
Together, Aurélien and Magali will undoubtedly contribute significantly to our ongoing projects and further elevate the scientific endeavors at LAI.
Welcome to the team! We are grateful for your decision to join us and look forward to the exciting journey ahead.
A new tool was developed at LAI!
In recent work, Yong Jian Wang, Claire Valotteau, and Laurent Limozin managed to combine DNA scaffolds and acoustic force spectroscopy to characterize individual protein bonds. This work has been in done in collaboration with colleagues at CRCM and IBENS.
To know more about the work, don’t hesitate to reach out to Laurent Limozin or take a look at the article: https://www.cell.com/biophysj/fulltext/S0006-3495(23)00302-8
In press: CNRS
Welcome Andrzej & Natalia !
We are pleased to welcome for the second time Andrzej Kubiak, and for the first time, Natalia Bryniarska-Kubiak, a visiting post-doc from Jagiellonian University, Krakow, Poland.
They are joining the lab for a short stay and collaborating with Pierre-Henri Puech to learn Atomic Force Microscopy, Single-Cell Force Spectroscopy, and Traction Force Microscopy!
Welcome!
Merlin Sanicas becomes a doctor… Again!
A medical doctor by training, Merlin decided to embark on a fundamental science journey in 2019 and hasn’t looked back since. Merlin did his Ph.D. under the supervision of Patrick Chames at CRCM and Laurent Limozin at LAI. He successfully defended his thesis which is entitled “Selection of nanobodies by a microfluidic mechanical approach for therapeutic purposes” in the presence of an expert jury consisting of Marie-Alix Poul, Charlie Gosse, and Hervé Nozach.
Merlin has already been employed by Immunocore in the UK where he’s utilizing his skills in a more applied setting. We wish him the best of luck, as well as a lot of Marvel content in his future!
External seminar: Shalini Low-Nam
Prof. Shalini Low-Nam “Molecular thresholds for T cell activation” (coorganized with CINAM) CIML
Valentine Seveau wins the Thesis Prize Award of the AMU ED 352!
We are pleased to announce that our very own Valentine Seveau received the Thesis Prize Award of the AMU ED 352 (Doctoral School of Physics) for the year 2022.
Under the guidance of Marie-Pierre Valignat and Olivier Theodoly, Valentine examined the behavior of cells in response to environmental cues during her thesis, titled “Quantitative study of cell guidance in controlled microenvironments: atypical cases of rheotaxis and adhesive haptotaxis”
We extend our congratulations to Valentine for the well-deserved recognition! Her achievement demonstrates the value of interdisciplinary research for advancing scientific knowledge.
LAI female power on display: La Marseillaise des Femmes 2023
In an inspiring fashion, the women of LAI showcased exceptional determination and strength by participating in La Marseillaise des Femmes race with the support of INSERM! After 3 months of intensive training, our very own athletes, or “Les Athlètes Improbables” as we like to call them achieved impressive results raising the bar high for the years to come. This event has sparked weekly running sessions the LAI members have been enjoying in the Calanques national park!
LAI celebrates its newest Dr!
On Wednesday, 10th May, Mar successfully defended her Ph.D. project titled “Fast phenotyping of cell mechanics in the inflammatory response” in front of a jury composed of experts in the field: Nils Gauthier, Laura Picas, Jochen Guck, Jean-Luc Pellequer, Réjane Rua and Nathalie Pujol. We are delighted to share the news of her exceptional accomplishment and the invaluable contributions she has made to our lab’s research. Mar Eroles embarked on her Ph.D. journey as a student of the prestigious European ITN Phys2BioMed program to investigate the mechanics of monocytes and macrophages under hyperinflammatory conditions. Congratulations Mar and we can’t wait to see what you achieve next!
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