Leukocyte motility

Leukocyte motility

Mgr. Miroslav Hons, Ph.D.

Mgr. Miroslav Hons, Ph.D. — Project head

1st Faculty of Medicine of the Charles University

About us

An efficient immune response requires cells of the immune system to be at the right place at the right time and depends upon their migration and correct positioning in lymphoid tissues. We will study biological mechanisms which enable cells to establish morphological polarity and motile behavior and we are interested in how defects in leukocyte motility are reflected in immunity on system level.

We will focus on two major areas. First, we will study the cell biology of leukocyte motility in vitro. Morphological changes and motility of eukaryotic cells are driven by cytoskeleton. We will use high resolution rapid live cell imaging to study the interplay between cell signaling and cytoskeletal dynamics when leukocytes are exposed to an external input such as chemokine. Further, we will establish microfabrication of silicon devices. Those devices can be used to expose cells to mechanical confinement or they can be imprinted with microchannels that can form various constrictive geometries. We will use those devices to expose leukocytes to an alternative input – mechanical stress. Mechanical stress plays unknown role in leukocyte biology although it is well known to play a major role in biology of adherent cells. The combination of imaging and use of microfabricated devices will allow us to establish our independent and novel research program in leukocyte mechanobiology.

Second, we will study leukocyte migration in vivo. To this end, we will use intravital two photon microscopy. We will image and analyze homing and migratory parameters of leukocytes in lymphoid organs and inflamed peripheral tissues. Intravital imaging will complement our reductionistic in vitro approach and it will allow us to establish holistic level of understanding of our subject.   

News

Events

Publications

2022

Assen FP, Abe J, Hons M, Hauschild R, Shamipour S, Kaufmann WA, Costanzo T, Krens G, Brown M, Ludewig B, Hippenmeyer S, Heisenberg CP, Weninger W, Hannezo E, Luther SA, Stein JV, Sixt M. Multitier mechanics control stromal adaptations in the swelling lymph node. Nat Immunol. 2022 Aug;23(8):1246-1255. doi: 10.1038/s41590-022-01257-4. (IF 31.25)

Weier AK, Homrich M, Ebbinghaus S, Juda P, Miková E, Hauschild R, Zhang L, Quast T, Mass E, Schlitzer A, Kolanus W, Burgdorf S, Gruß OJ, Hons M, Wieser S, Kiermaier E. Multiple centrosomes enhance migration and immune cell effector functions of mature dendritic cells. J Cell Biol. 2022 Dec 5;221(12):e202107134. doi: 10.1083/jcb.202107134. (IF 8.077)

Gaertner F, Reis-Rodrigues P, de Vries I, Hons M, Aguilera J, Riedl M, Leithner A, Tasciyan S, Kopf A, Merrin J, Zheden V, Kaufmann WA, Hauschild R, Sixt M. WASp triggers mechanosensitive actin patches to facilitate immune cell migration in dense tissues. Dev Cell. 2022 Jan 10;57(1):47-62.e9. doi: 10.1016/j.devcel.2021.11.024. (IF 12.270)

2020

Reversat A, Gaertner F, Merrin J, Stopp J, Tasciyan S, Aguilera J, Vries I, Hauschild R, Hons M, Piel M, Callan-Jones A, Voituriez R and Sixt M. Cellular locomotion using environmental topography. Nature (2020). https://doi.org/10.1038/s41586-020-2283-z

2018

Hons M, Kopf A, Hauschild R, Leithner A, Gaertner F, Abe J, Renkawitz J, Stein JV, Sixt M. Chemokines and integrins independently tune actin flow and substrate friction during intranodal migration of T cells. Nat Immunol. 2018 Jun;19(6):606-616. doi: 10.1038/s41590-018-0109-z.

2011

Soriano SF, Hons M, Schumann K, Kumar V, Dennier TJ, Lyck R, Sixt
M, Stein JV. In vivo analysis of uropod function during physiological T cell trafficking. J Immunol. 2011 Sep 1;187(5):2356-64. doi:10.4049/jimmunol.1100935.

2010

Faroudi M, Hons M, Zachacz A, Dumont C, Lyck R, Stein JV, Tybulewicz
VL. Critical roles for Rac GTPases in T-cell migration to and within lymph nodes. Blood. 2010 Dec 16;116(25):5536-47. doi:10.1182/blood-2010-08-299438.

2007

Guarda G, Hons M, Soriano SF, Huang AY, Polley R, Martín-Fontecha A, Stein
JV, Germain RN, Lanzavecchia A, Sallusto F. L-selectin-negative CCR7- effector and memory CD8+ T cells enter reactive lymph nodes and kill dendritic cells. Nat Immunol. 2007 Jul;8(7):743-52.