Fluorescence analysis of the EGFreceptor signalling network

受体是细胞表面的分子，使细胞能够接收来自外部环境的化学信息，并将这些信号传递到细胞内部。这些信息告诉细胞生长、分裂或死亡。表皮生长因子受体与多种细胞信号通路相连，这些信号通路对细胞的正常功能至关重要。反之，表皮生长因子介导的细胞信号传导异常会导致多种类型的癌症。对受体如何关闭或开启的基本了解，对于设计能够特异性抑制其过度增殖反应的药物至关重要。表皮生长因子受体的一个关键部分的高分辨结构已经确定了该受体的几种结构形式，为了解受体激活的结构基础提供了有价值的线索。有了这些信息和先进的显微成像技术，我们处于独特的位置来探测活细胞中的受体激活。这个项目试图确定受体的哪种结构形式负责细胞信息的传递，以及它在癌细胞中是如何受损的。

Receptors are cell-surface molecules that enable the cell to receive chemical messages from the outside environment and transmit these signals to the inside of cell. These messages tell the cells to grow, divide or die. The Epidermal Growth Factor Receptor is linked to a variety of cell signalling pathways that are critical to the normal functioning of cells. Conversely, abberations in Epidermal Growth Factor-mediated cell signalling leads to many types of cancers. A basic understanding of how the receptor is turned off or on is essential to designing drugs that can specifically inhibit its hyperproliferative response. High resolution structures of a key part of the Epidermal Growth Factor Receptor have identified several structural forms of the receptor that are providing valuable clues as to the structural basis for receptor activation. Armed with this information and advanced microscopic imaging technology we are in the unique position to probe receptor activation in living cells. This project seeks to determine which structural form of the receptor is responsible for transmission of cellular messages and how it is impaired in cancerous cells.