Signalling Networks in Cell Shape and Motility

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Cells change their shape and by alternating their internal cytoskeleton. The dynamics of the cytoskeletal structure underline these changes, thus the signals that drive the changes must be interpreted by cellular machinery in order to carry out the required remodelling. Until recently, it has been very difficult to obtained detailed mechanistic information about these important signalling processes. Understanding the processes that regulate cell morphology is critical to understanding complex biological questions such as cell migration during embryonic development, axonal guidance, or the basis for metastasis of cancer cells. This book contains contributions from experts in cell biology, genetics, neurobiology, immunology and structural biology, all of whom study processes of cell shape change and motility. It addresses key questions in this field, including the following. (1) What are the organising principles behind cell shape change? (2) Are there 'master switches' present in every cell type? (3) How are extracellular signals interpreted by the cell in order to activate intracellular mechanisms? (4) What is the influence of the extracellular matrix on cell movement and internal signalling pathways? (5) How do pathogens subvert cellular systems in order to stimulate or block their uptake? There are also discussions of the potential applications of the data to clinical problems, particularly the problems of cell motility in cancer. This book should be of interest to molecular and cell biologists, geneticists, neuroscientists, immunologists, oncologists and structural biologists.