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SUMMARY:The Mechanics of Cancer Cell Division - Dr Helen Matthews from Sch
 ool of Biosciences\, University of Sheffield 
DTSTART:20240125T140000Z
DTEND:20240125T150000Z
UID:TALK202186@talks.cam.ac.uk
CONTACT:Caroline Newnham
DESCRIPTION:During division\, cells undergo a series of shape changes\, dr
 iven by dynamic reorganisation of the actin cytoskeleton and cell adhesion
 s. This begins at mitotic entry when cells round-up to become spherical. A
 t the same time\, cells also change their mechanical properties\, increasi
 ng cortical rigidity. This enables them to push against their external env
 ironment and generate the space required for spindle assembly and successf
 ul chromosome segregation. I will present our work investigating the regul
 ation of cell shape\, mechanics and adhesion during mitosis in both normal
  epithelial cells and following the activation of Ras oncogenes. We find t
 hat short-term Ras induction activates downstream MEK/ERK signalling to en
 hance cell rounding and stiffening at mitosis. In single cells\, these Ras
 -dependent changes allow cells to round up and divide faithfully when conf
 ined underneath stiff hydrogels\, a condition which introduces catastrophi
 c errors in chromosome segregation in non-transformed cells. When Ras is a
 ctivated in cells within an epithelial monolayer\, the alterations to mito
 tic cell mechanics combined with changes in cell/cell adhesion result in m
 is-orientated\, out-of-plane cell divisions and loss of monolayer integrit
 y. These results reveal how oncogenic Ras disrupts the normal cell divisio
 n process to promote both the initial breakdown of epithelial structure an
 d the subsequent proliferation of individual cells in mechanically stiff t
 umour-like environments.\n\n\n
LOCATION:Biffen Lecture theatre and Zoom
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