BIOCEV scientists help discover a mechanism that regulates the motility of immune system cells
Research — 09.11.2022

Leukocyte motility

BIOCEV scientists help discover a mechanism that regulates the motility of immune system cells

Scientific teams from the 1st Faculty of Medicine and the Faculty of Science of Charles University at the BIOCEV Centre have created 3D reconstructions of the ultrastructure of dendritic cells, demonstrating the previously undescribed multiplication of centrosomes - the structures organizing the microtubular cytoskeleton of cells. The Czech scientists' data are crucial part of a study led by scientists at the University of Bonn who have discovered a new mechanism by which centrosome multiplication controls the motility of immune cells.

Cancer cells use an unusual mechanism to migrate to new tissue and form metastases. The same process probably keeps some immune cells on guard. According to research led by the University of Bonn, the number of certain structures, centrioles, increases. This makes it easier for them to maintain their direction, and so they migrate faster to the lymph nodes, where they activate other immune cells. The results have now been published in the Journal of Cell Biology.

The key image and video material was produced by Czech scientists Pavel Jůda and Eliška Miková from the Miroslav Hons Leukocyte Motility Laboratory, in collaboration with colleagues from the Imaging Methods Core Facility (IMCF).

Picture: 3D reconstruction of dendritic cell ultrastructure showing multiple centrioles (green), credit: 1. LF UK / BIOCEV

"The excellent equipment and expertise of the Imaging Methods Service Laboratory is key to our ability to participate in international projects. This project would also not have been possible without the support of the national Czech-Bioimaging infrastructure," says Miroslav Hons (1st Faculty of Medicine UK / BIOCEV)

Aleš Benda (Faculty of Science UK / BIOCEV), Head of IMCF adds: "Significant scientific discoveries by our users passionate about advanced microscopy methods, who, like in this publication, fully exploit the potential of the modern microscopes and methodological expertise we offer, are a reward for our long-term and challenging efforts to keep up with the latest trends in microscopy."

In addition to the University of Bonn and BIOCEV scientists, scientific and technical institutes in Austria and Spain were involved in the work.

Publication:

Ann-Kathrin Weier*, Mirka Homrich*, Stephanie Ebbinghaus, Pavel Juda, Eliška Miková, Robert Hauschild, Lili Zhang, Thomas Quast, Elvira Mass, Andreas Schlitzer, Waldemar Kolanus, Sven Burgdorf, Oliver J. Gruß, Miroslav Hons, Stefan Wieser, Eva Kiermaier; Multiple centrosomes enhance migration and immune cell effector functions of mature dendritic cells. J Cell Biol, 2022; https://doi.org/10.1083/jcb.202107134

The video shows 3D visualization of segmented centrioles of FIB-SEM datasets acquired at the IMCF.

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