Our group is interested in Cadherin biology and in their role during collective cell invasion.
We have developed and validated a model system in which we induce collective cell migration by expressing P-cadherin in C2C12 myoblasts, satellite cells which function as muscle progenitors and do not express P-cadherin. P-cadherin, a cell-cell adhesion protein expressed in carcinoma and aggressive sarcoma and associated with poor prognosis, emerged as a major regulator of DCCM. Using an unbiased transcriptomic analysis, we identified that P-cadherin is associated to a collagen signature. The project aims to identify how P-cadherin-mediated cell-cell adhesion and cell-matrix adhesion crosstalk during collective cell invasion in 3D matrix and how P-cadherin-induced extra-cellular matrix remodeling impacts on collective cell migration.
– Plutoni et al, P-cadherin promotes collective cell migration via a Cdc42-mediated increase in mechanical forces. J Cell Biology, 2016, 212, 199–217
Candidate profile
Motivated candidate with skills in Cell Biology, Microscopy. The candidate will be expected to be interface with cell biologists and biophysicists actively, with an open, multidisciplinary mind.
Financing is available for 6 months with the possibility for renewal but the candidate is expected to apply for its own funding with the support of the laboratory. Applications will be send to the funding agencies (FRM, ARC,…) with dead-lines indicated on the agency website. The candidate could apply during the first year after his/her PhD defense (first post-doc) or after a two-years post-doc (confirmed post-doc). He/she needs at least one first author publication in a peer-reviewed journal from his/her PhD work and the first post-doc (if any).
lnterested candidates should send their CV including research interests and contact details of two referees in a single pdf file to cecile.gauthier@crbm.cnrs.fr
