PBF SIGNALLING IN THE REGULATION OF CELL MOTILITY

The co-ordinated movement of cells is an important biological process for the early stages of embryo growth, tissue repair after injury and immune responses to viruses, bacteria and other foreign substances. Its disruption is also linked with the ageing process and with age-related disorders such as long-term, damaging inflammation and the progression of cancers to more aggressive forms.

The control of cell movement is highly complex, with messages being sent from the outside of cells to the machinery within the cells that drives it. While many aspects of this regulation are understood, there is still much we don't know.

We have shown that a protein called PBF stimulates cell movement, and modification of PBF is essential for this function. PBF is one of the most highly modified proteins in humans suggesting it is of great importance. Our data now show that PBF has a key role in the regulatory network that links external signals to the cell machinery that drives movement.

Thus, the overall aim of this study is to understand how PBF influences the molecular network that controls cell movement. We will establish how PBF modification affects its function. The effect of PBF on known regulators of cell movement will be investigated.

The contribution of PBF to pathways that are known to drive cell movement will be determined. Importantly, the precise effects of modified PBF on the cell machinery that drives movement, as well as the overall process of moving itself, will be determined.

This study will provide a new understanding of how cell movement is regulated, which will in turn increase our knowledge of the many important bodily processes and diseases that rely on it. Understanding the regulation of cell movement is vital to develop new ways to prevent and treat conditions such as inflammatory disease and aggressive cancer.