Study plasma membrane nanodomains with quantitative super-resolution approaches

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The plasma membrane is a physical barrier between the cell interior and extracellular milieu, allowing independent vital processes to be carried out. Membrane receptors are responsible from regulating cell's fate and responses to external stimuli. Signal transduction across the plasma membrane is primordial to the coordinated growth, differentiation of cells within organs.In the last 40 years, scientists have obtained a great deal of information on the organization of the cell's membrane. Initially thought to be passive barrier containing randomly distributed lipids and proteins, it appears now that their organization is more complex and tightly regulated. Within the plane of these membrane bilayers, lateral segregations of fine platform are responsible for the control of fundamental cellular mechanisms, including receptor signaling, uptake of nutrients, regulation of the immune system and more.The characterization of these structures has been stymied by a lack of methodologies capable of measuring their size (in the nanometer range) and dynamic properties. It has then been also impossible to really clarify how membrane nanodomains are regulating cell signaling.Our research program is designed to address these fundamental questions. In my laboratory, we have already implemented new cutting-edge imaging techniques known as super-resolution microscopy, capable of resolving nanometer scale structures at high temporal resolution (10th of millisecond range). With the support of NSERC, our objectives are 3 folds: 1) to implement quantitative tools based on super-resolution microscopy of plasma membrane markers; 2) to investigate the structure and dynamics of cell membrane nanodomains and 3) to examine their role in the regulation of receptor signal transduction.Super-resolution imaging will become a major tool for biologists and biophysicists to understand, with greater details, how our cells function at the molecular level. We will make use of these approaches to train future cell biologists in our institution and make use of this powerful tool to investigate unanswered biological questions.