The Role of SNARE-mediated Membrane Traffic in Cell-ECM Adhesion

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Multicellular life depends on the capacity of cells within tissues to support dynamic interactions with other cells and with the extracellular matrix (ECM). In recent decades, there have been great advances in our understanding of cell-ECM interactions (including cell adhesion, migration and invasion), yet little is known of the molecular mechanisms that regulate these interactions. Current models of cell adhesion suggest that interactions between cells and ECM are primarily mediated by focal adhesions (FAs), protein complexes that act as sites of connection between the ECM and the cell cytoskeleton and serve as local points of information transfer into and out of cells. NSERC-funded studies from my laboratory are among the first to establish how the transport of material within cells contributes to the formation and function of FAs while cells bind to the ECM. With the knowledge we have gained and the model system we have developed, we are now uniquely positioned to further our understanding of how cell-ECM adhesion is controlled and the role this plays in both the normal function of many tissues within the body and in many disease states.