2 juillet 2015 : Séminaire LMGP - Charlotte Vendrely : "Self-assembling proteins of the extracellular matrices"

Charlotte Vendrely -Associate Pr
Université de Cergy-Pontoise, ERRMECe

Abstract

The extracellular matrices (ECMs) exist from primitive bacteria (so called biofilms) to the more advanced plants and animals. They are made of different types of polymers forming a complex network to support and to protect cells as well as to play important roles into signaling for the control of cell behavior. ECM modifications are linked to various pathologies like cancer or bacterial infection. Among the polymers composing ECMs, proteins play essential roles. Interestingly, biofilm associated proteins and eukaryotic ECM proteins share common features like self-assembly properties.

In animals, collagens belong to the major proteins but others like fibonectin are also essential for ECM functions and for cell behaviors. Interestingly, the different physio-pathological roles of this protein are closely related to its structure/conformation. In this talk, a study on the relationship between the conformation of this protein and its influence on the cell behavior will be presented.

As another example, in bacteria, although extracellular polysaccharides are considered as the major component of biofilms, biofilm associated proteins seem to play important roles in biofilm formation and stability. To optimize our anti- or pro-biofilm strategies, the precise roles of these proteins remain to be elucidated. A study using mimicking matrices for the study of the role of some proteins into microbial ECM will be presented.