Presentation
Our team studies different processes happening in the cell: cell migration, cell volume/mass regulation, cell division. We are interested by processes involving the cytoskeleton, organelles and their relation with mechanosensitivity. We develop and use innovative tools based on nano and micro-fabrication techniques, to control and modulate the main physical and chemical parameters of the cell micro-environment.
These tools are coupled with high quality quantitative microscopy, and used alongside molecular and cell biology techniques, to obtain a quantitative description of the cell behavior. As well as highlighting new basic concepts about cell behavior, our multidisciplinary approach leads to the development of novel tools with potential applications in biomedical research.
The focus of our current research is how cells proliferate and migrate when space is limited. We want to understand how cells (immune cells and cancer cells) can produce efficient motion under confinement and squeeze through small holes, and how physical constrains affect dividing cells.
Our current project on cell proliferation under external constrains has been awarded an ERC Consolidator grant (2013-2018). An ERC Synergy Grant (2023-2028), in collaboration with the teams of Ana-Maria Lennon-Duménil, Giorgio Scita and Raphaël Voituriez, was also obtained in order to study the impact of cell shapes on cell behaviour and fate
Matthieu Piel is author of more than 352 publications, with more than 20000 citations (h-index 73). He holds four patents, and is a co-founder of the CYTOO company, and of the Pierre-Gilles de Gennes Institute for Microfluidics.
Mr Piel has also taught at the Center for Interdisciplinary Research, and he is currently teaching Cell Biology and Biophysics in several master courses in Paris.
Mr Piel was awarded the Bronze medal of CNRS in 2012, then elected EMBO member in 2016 ; and also won the Grand Prix Jean Hamburger of research in medecine from the City of Paris in 2018. Finally, in 2023, Mr Piel obtained the Prix de Recherche de la Fondation Allianz-Institut de France and was awarded the Silver medal of CNRS.
Here is a video, produced for French television, in which Matthieu Piel explains his motivations:
L’ETINCELLE_MATTHIEU_PIEL from HELIOX Films on Vimeo.
Here is a video that we produced for the ASCB about the life of a dendritic cell:
ASCB Celldance 2016 – Piel from ASCB on Vimeo.
Techniques and tools we created and use
- Micropatterning: We have demonstrated that micro-patterns of extra-cellular matrix molecules are able to determine the polarity and division axis of cultured cells (see publication). This discovery was patented and licensed to a start-up company (CYTOO, created in 2008) and we have kept developing this technology.
Microchannels: We use microfabricated channels to study cell migration and to mimic the micro-environment of the cell in the body. See poster below (Download PDF):
- Confinement devices: We developed tools to confine the cell to very low height and we have exploited them to understand how mechanical constrains affect cell division and migration.
- Cell volume measurement: We published a technique to measure precisely the cell volume with exclusion fluorescence (see publication) and showed that mammalian cells swell during mitosis (see publication).
Team members
Damien Cuvelier (Teacher and Researcher in Physics and Chemistry): Studies the mechanical properties of the nuclear membrane subjected to physical constraints.
Camille Plancke (Study Engineer): Lab Manager and technical support in various Research Projects carried out in the team.
Theresa Jakuszeit (Post-doctoral researcher): Studies the migration of immune cells within a complex environment. In collaboration with the team of Raphaël Voituriez (IBPS - UMR 8237 - Laboratory Jean Perrin).
Kotryna Vaidziulyte (Post-doctoral researcher): Studies the deformation of circulating tumor cells subjected to mechanical stresses.
Judith Pineau (Post-doctoral researcher): Investigating cell and nuclear deformation in multicellular contexts.
Melissa Quintanilla (Post-doctoral researcher): Investigating the effect of the mechanical properties of large, ingested cargos on immune cell migration.
Vanessa Nunes (Post-doctoral researcher): Dissecting the mechanisms regulating nuclear volume, tension and nuclear envelope surface area.
Solène Ludwig (PhD student): Studies the physico-chemistry of the nucleoplasm.
PhD students under joint supervision
Anumita Jawahar (PhD student): Studies the heterogeneity of the cell cortex in polarized cells.
In collaboration with the team of Olivia Du Roure and Julien Heuvingh (ESPCI - UMR 7636) and Mathieu Coppey (Institut Curie - UMR168 - Cell physics and cancer).
Sarah Sadik (PhD student): Investigates the mechanical and dynamic interactions between the nuclear envelope and chromatin.
In collaboration with the team of Antoine Coulon (Institut Curie - UMR168 - Cell physics and cancer).
Baptiste Vauléon (PhD student): Investigates the mechanical properties of the actin cell cortex.
In collaboration with the team of Olivia Du Roure and Julien Heuvingh (ESPCI - UMR 7636 - Physics and Mechanics of Heterogeneous Media).
Publications
Cell - 01/09/2021
See authors
Science - 16/10/2020
See authors
Nature Communications - 01/12/2018
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Science - 15/04/2016
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Cell - 01/02/2015
See authors
Life of the team
Publications
Publications gallery Team Piel
2024
Rigidity percolation and active advection synergize in the actomyosin cortex to drive amoeboid cell motility (Developmental Cell).
Juan Manuel García-Arcos, Johannes Ziegler, Silvia Grigolon, Loïc Reymond, Gaurav Shajepal, Cédric J. Cattin, Alexis Lomakin, Daniel J. Müller, Verena Ruprecht, Stefan Wieser, Raphael Voituriez, Matthieu Piel.
Using stable motile blebs from HeLa cells as a model amoeboid motile system, we imaged the dynamics of the actin cortex at the single filament level and revealed the co-existence of three distinct rheological phases. We introduce “advected percolation,” a process where rigidity percolation and active advection synergize, spatially organizing the actin network’s mechanical properties into a minimal and generic locomotion mechanism. Expanding from our observations on simplified systems, we speculate that this model could explain, down to the single actin filament level, how amoeboid cells, such as cancer or immune cells, can propel efficiently through complex 3D environments.
Blebology: principles of bleb-based migration (Trends in Cell Biology).
Juan Manel García-Arcos, Ankita Jha, Clare M. Waterman, Matthieu Piel.
Bleb-based migration, a conser
ved cell motility mode, has a crucial role in both physiological and pathological processes. Unlike the well-elucidated mechanisms of lamellipodium-based mesenchymal migration, the dynamics of bleb-based migration remain less understood. In this review, we highlight in a systematic way the establishment of front–rear polarity, bleb formation and extension, and the distinct regimes of bleb dynamics. We emphasize new evidence proposing a regulatory role of plasma membrane-cortex interactions in blebbing behavior and discuss the generation of force and its transmission during migration. Our analysis aims to deepen the understanding of the physical and molecular mechanisms of bleb-based migration, shedding light on its implications and significance for health and disease.
The third dimension of the actin cortex (Current Opinion in Cell Biology).
Anumita Jawahar, Joseph Vermeil, Julien Heuvingh, Olivia du Roure, Matthieu Piel.
The actin cortex, commonly described as a thin 2-dimensional layer of actin filaments beneath the plasma membrane, is beginning to be recognized as part of a more dynamic and three-dimensional composite material. In this review, we focus on the elements that contribute to the three-dimensional architecture of the actin cortex. We also argue that actin-rich structures such as filopodia and stress fibers can be viewed as specialized integral parts of the 3D actin cortex. This broadens our definition of the cortex, shifting from its simplified characterization as a thin, two-dimensional layer of actin filaments.
A Magnetic Pincher for the Dynamic Measurement of the Actin Cortex Thickness in Live Cells (Imaging Cell Signaling).
Joseph Vermeil, Valentin Laplaud, Anumita Jawahar, Dulamkhuu Bujaa, Damien Cuvelier, Julien Heuvingh, Olivia du Roure, and Matthieu Piel.
We present a novel protocol to probe dynamically the thickness of the cortex and its fluctuations using superparamagnetic microbeads in a uniform magnetic field. A bead ingested by the cell and another outside the cell attract each other due to dipolar forces. By tracking their position with nanometer precision, one can measure the thickness of the cortex pinched between two beads and monitor its evolution in time. We first present the set of elements necessary to realize this protocol: a magnetic field generator adapted to a specific imaging setup and the aforementioned superparamagnetic microbeads. Then we detail the different steps of a protocol that can be used on diverse cell types, adherent or not.
Cell shape sensing licenses dendritic cells for homeostatic migration to lymph nodes (Nature Immunology).
Zahraa Alraies, Claudia A Rivera, Maria-Graciela Delgado, Doriane Sanséau, Mathieu Maurin, Roberto Amadio, Giulia Maria Piperno, Garett Dunsmore, Aline Yatim, Livia Lacerda Mariano, Anna Kniazeva, Vincent Calmettes, Pablo J Sáez, Alice Williart, Henri Popard, Matthieu Gratia, Olivier Lamiable, Aurélie Moreau, Zoé Fusilier, Lou Crestey, Benoit Albaud, Patricia Legoix, Anne S Dejean, Anne-Louise Le Dorze , Hideki Nakano, Donald N Cook, Toby Lawrence, Nicolas Manel, Federica Benvenuti, Florent Ginhoux, Hélène D Moreau, Guilherme P F Nader Matthieu Piel ,Ana-Maria Lennon-Duménil.
We identify a shape-sensing mechanism that increases the expression of the chemokine receptor CCR7 and guides dendritic cell migration from peripheral tissues to lymph nodes at steady state. This mechanism relies on the lipid metabolism enzyme cPLA2, requires nuclear envelope tensioning and is finely tuned by the ARP2/3 actin nucleation complex. We also show that this shape-sensing axis reprograms dendritic cell transcription by activating an IKKβ–NF-κB-dependent pathway known to control their tolerogenic potential. These results indicate that cell shape changes experienced by immune cells can define their migratory behavior and immunoregulatory properties and reveal a contribution of the physical properties of tissues to adaptive immunity.
2023
Extended Methods for 2D Confinement (Cell Migration in Three Dimensions).
Juan M García-Arcos, Kevin Gateau, Larisa Venkova, Matthieu Piel.
Protocols described in this chapter relate to methods extending the previously published 2D confinement technique. First, we explain a method to increase the complexity of the confinement chamber by microfabricating nanometer-sized PDMS grooves on the bottom surface, usually used for contact guidance studies. Then, we describe a method to perform the confinement on cells embedded inside a μm-thin 3D collagen gel. Finally, we describe an alternative method to confine cells based on agarose, so that cells can be fixed or drug perfused while being confined, which is currently not possible in the 2D confinement silicone-based device.
2022
Atypical CXCL12 signaling enhances neutrophil migration by modulating nuclear deformability (Science Signaling).
Bianca Calì, Mathieu Deygas, Fabio Munari, Elisabetta Marcuzzi, Antonino Cassará, Lara Toffali, Massimo Vetralla, Mathilde Bernard, Matthieu Piel, Onelia Gagliano, Marta Mastrogiovanni, Carlo Laudanna, Nicola Elvassore, Barbara Molon, Pablo Vargas and Antonella Viola.
We showed that chemokines, the extracellular signals that guide cell migration in vivo, modulated nuclear plasticity to support neutrophil migration in restricted microenvironments. We propose that chemical cues regulate the nuclear plasticity of migrating leukocytes to optimize their motility in restricted microenvironments.
Cell clusters adopt a collective amoeboid mode of migration in confined nonadhesive environments (Science Advances).
Diane-Laure Pagès, Emmanuel Dornier, Jean de Seze, Emilie Gontran, Ananyo Maitra, Aurore Maciejewski, Li Wang, Rui Luan, Jérôme Cartry, Charlotte Canet-Jourdan, Joël Raingeaud, Grégoire Lemahieu, Marceline Lebel, Michel Ducreux, Maximiliano Gelli, Jean-Yves Scoazec, Mathieu Coppey, Raphaël Voituriez, Matthieu Piel, Fanny Jaulin.
We show that cancer cell clusters, from patients and cell lines, migrate without focal adhesions when confined into nonadhesive microfabricated channels. Clusters coordinate and behave like giant super cells, mobilizing their actomyosin contractility at the rear to power their migration. This collective amoeboid mode of migration could foster metastatic spread by enabling cells to cross a wide spectrum of environments.
Actin Stress Fibers Response and Adaptation under Stretch (International Journal of Molecular Sciences).
Roberto Bernal, Milenka Van Hemelryck, Basile Gurchenkov, and Damien Cuvelier.
We study the response of peripheral stress fibers (SFs) to external stretch in mammalian cells, plated onto deformable micropatterned substrates. A local fluorescence analysis reveals that an adaptation response is observed at the vicinity of the focal adhesion sites (FAs) due to its mechanosensor function. A model is proposed to take into account the effect of the applied stretch on the mechanics of the SF, from which relevant parameters of the healing process are obtained. As a result, the SFs display strain-softening features due to the incorporation of new actin material into the bundle. In contrast, the response under compression shows a reorganization with a constant actin material suggesting a gliding process of the SFs by the myosin II motors.
A mechano-osmotic feedback couples cell volume to the rate of cell deformation (eLife).
Larisa Venkova, Amit Singh Vishen, Sergio Lembo, Nishit Srivastava, Baptiste Duchamp, Artur Ruppel, Alice Williart, Stéphane Vassilopoulos, Alexandre Deslys, Juan Manuel Garcia Arcos, Alba Diz-Muñoz, Martial Balland, Jean-François Joanny, Damien Cuvelier, Pierre Sens, and Matthieu Piel.
We show that a parameter central to both the physics and the physiology of the cell, its volume, depends on a mechano-osmotic coupling. We found that cells change their volume depending on the rate at which they change shape, when they spontaneously spread or when they are externally deformed. We propose a mechanosensitive pump and leak model to explain this phenomenon. Our model and experiments suggest that volume modulation depends on the state of the actin cortex and the coupling of ion fluxes to membrane tension.
Volume growth in animal cells is cell cycle dependent and shows additive fluctuations (eLife).
Clotilde Cadart, Larisa Venkova, Matthieu Piel, Marco Cosentino Lagomarsino.
During most of the cell cycle, volume growth is close to exponential and proceeds at a higher rate in S-G2 than in G1. Comparing the data with a mathematical model, we establish that the cell-to-cell variability in volume growth arises from constant-amplitude fluctuations in volume steps rather than fluctuations of the underlying specific growth rate. We hypothesize that such 'additive noise' could emerge from the processes that regulate volume adaptation to biophysical cues, such as tension or osmotic pressure.
2021
Nuclear deformations, from signaling to perturbation and damage (Current Opinion in Cell Biology).
Guilherme Pedreira de Freitas Nader, Alice Williart, Matthieu Piel.
During cell growth and motility in crowded tissues or interstitial spaces, cells must integrate multiple physical and biochemical environmental inputs. After a number of recent studies, the view of the nucleus as a passive object that cells have to drag along has become obsolete, placing the nucleus as a central player in sensing some of these inputs. In the present review, we will focus on changes in nuclear shape caused by external and internal forces. Depending on their magnitude, nuclear deformations can generate signaling events that modulate cell behavior and fate, or be a source of perturbations or even damage, having detrimental effects on cellular functions. On very large deformations, nuclear envelope rupture events become frequent, leading to uncontrolled nucleocytoplasmic mixing and DNA damage. We will also discuss the consequences of repeated compromised nuclear integrity, which can trigger DNA surveillance mechanisms, with critical consequences to cell fate and tissue homeostasis.
Compromised nuclear envelope integrity drives TREX1-dependent DNA damage and tumor cell invasion (CellPress).
Guilherme Pedreira de Freitas Nader, Sonia Agüera-Gonzalez, Fiona Routet, Matthieu Gratia, Mathieu Maurin, Valeria Cancila, Clotilde Cadart, Andrea Palamidessi, Rodrigo Nalio Ramos, Mabel San Roman, Matteo Gentili, Ayako Yamada, Alice Williart, Catalina Lodillinsky, Emilie Lagoutte, Catherine Villard, Jean-Louis Viovy, Claudio Tripodo, Jérôme Galon, Giorgio Scita, Nicolas Manel, Philippe Chavrier, Matthieu Piel.
Nuclear envelope ruptures induce DNA damage and the endoplasmic reticulum (ER)-associated exonuclease TREX1 translocates into the nucleus after nuclear envelope rupture and is required to induce DNA damage. Inside the mammary duct, cellular crowding leads to nuclear envelope ruptures that generate TREX1-dependent DNA damage, thereby driving the progression of in situ carcinoma to the invasive stage.
HIF2α is a direct regulator of neutrophil motility (Blood).
Sundary Sormendi, Mathieu Deygas, Anupam Sinha, Mathilde Bernard, Anja Krüger, Ioannis Kourtzelis, Gregoire Le Lay, Pablo J Sáez, Michael Gerlach, Kristin Franke, Ana Meneses, Martin Kräter, Alessandra Palladini, Jochen Guck, Ünal Coskun, Triantafyllos Chavakis, Pablo Vargas, Ben Wielockx.
We reveal that activation of hypoxia-inducible factor 2 (HIF2α) as a result of a deficiency in HIF prolyl hydroxylase domain protein 2 (PHD2) boosts neutrophil migration specifically through highly confined microenvironments. Using systematic RNA sequencing analyses and mechanistic approaches, we identified RhoA, a cytoskeleton organizer, as the central downstream factor that mediates HIF2α-dependent neutrophil motility. Thus, we propose that the novel PHD2-HIF2α-RhoA axis is vital to the initial stages of inflammation because it promotes neutrophil movement through highly confined tissue landscapes.
Pinching the cortex of live cells reveals thickness instabilities caused by myosin II motors (Sciences Advances).
Valentin Laplaud, Nicolas Levernier, Judith Pineau, Mabel San Roman, Lucie Barbier, Pablo J Sáez, Ana-Maria Lennon-Duménil, Pablo Vargas, Karsten Kruse, Olivia du Roure, Matthieu Piel and Julien Heuvingh
Using two mutually attracted magnetic beads, one inside the cell and the other in the extracellular medium, we pinch the cortex of dendritic cells and provide an accurate and time-resolved measure of its thickness. Our observations draw a new picture of the cell cortex as a highly dynamic layer, harboring large fluctuations in its third dimension because of actomyosin contractility. We propose that the cortex dynamics might be responsible for the fast shape-changing capacity of highly contractile cells that use amoeboid-like migration.
2020
The nucleus acts as a ruler tailoring cell responses to spatial constraints (Science).
A. J. Lomakin, C. J. Cattin, D. Cuvelier, Z. Alraies, M. Molina, G. P. F. Nader, N. Srivastava,P. J. Saez, J. M. Garcia-Arcos, I. Y. Zhitnyak, A. Bhargava, M. K. Driscoll, E. S. Welf, R. Fiolka, R. J. Petrie,N. S. De Silva, J. M. González-Granado, N. Manel, A. M. Lennon-Duménil, D. J. Müller, M. Piel.
Cells rely on the nuclear ruler to modulate the motive force that enables their passage through restrictive pores in complex three-dimensional environments, a process relevant to cancer cell invasion, immune responses, and embryonic development.
2019
Myosin II Activity Is Selectively Needed for Migration in Highly Confined Microenvironments in Mature Dendritic Cells (Frontiers in Immunology).
Lucie Barbier, Pablo J Sáez, Rafaele Attia, Ana-Maria Lennon-Duménil, Ido Lavi, Matthieu Piel, Pablo Vargas.
We identified a specific role of MyoII activity in the regulation of mDCs migration in highly confined microenvironments. Using microfluidic systems, we observed that during mDCs chemotaxis in 3D collagen gels under defined CCL21 gradients, MyoII activity was required to sustain their fast speed but not to orientate them toward the chemokine.
Macropinocytosis Overcomes Directional Bias in Dendritic Cells Due to Hydraulic Resistance and Facilitates Space Exploration (Developmental cell).
Hélène D Moreau, Carles Blanch-Mercader, Rafaele Attia, Mathieu Maurin, Zahraa Alraies, Doriane Sanséau, Odile Malbec, Maria-Graciela Delgado, Philippe Bousso, Jean-François Joanny, Raphaël Voituriez, Matthieu Piel, Ana-Maria Lennon-Duménil
The migration of immune cells can be guided by physical cues imposed by the environment, such as geometry, rigidity, or hydraulic resistance (HR). Neutrophils preferentially follow paths of least HR in vitro, a phenomenon known as barotaxis. The mechanisms and physiological relevance of barotaxis remain unclear. We show that barotaxis results from the amplification of a small force imbalance by the actomyosin cytoskeleton, resulting in biased directional choices.
Reconstitution of cell migration at a glance (Journal Of Cell Science).
In this Cell Science at a Glance article and accompanying poster, we present selected experimental setups that mimic different events that cells undergo during migration in vivo. These include polydimethylsiloxane (PDMS) devices to deform whole cells or organelles, micro patterning, nano-fabricated structures like grooves, and compartmentalized collagen chambers with chemical gradients. We also outline the main contribution of each technique to the understanding of different aspects of single-cell migration.
2018
Size control in mammalian cells involves modulation of both growth rate and cell cycle duration (Nature Communications).
Clotilde Cadart, Sylvain Monnier, Jacopo Grilli, Pablo J Sáez, Nishit Srivastava, Rafaele Attia, Emmanuel Terriac, Buzz Baum, Marco Cosentino-Lagomarsino, Matthieu Piel.
Direct measurements of single-cell volumes over entire cell cycles on various mammalian cell lines and primary human cells.
Leukocyte Migration and Deformation in Collagen Gels and Microfabricated Constrictions (Methods in Molecular Biology).
Pablo J Sáez, Lucie Barbier, Rafaele Attia, Hawa-Racine Thiam, Matthieu Piel, Pablo Vargas.
A multichamber device for the visualization of cell haptotaxis toward the collagen-binding chemokine CCL21. Microfabricated channels connected to small constrictions.
2017
ATP promotes the fast migration of dendritic cells through the activity of pannexin 1 channels and P2X7 receptors (Science Signaling).
Pablo J. Sáez, Pablo Vargas, Kenji F. Shoji, Paloma A. Harcha, Ana-María Lennon-Duménil, Juan C. Sáez
When dendritic cells (DCs) in peripheral tissues encounter danger-associated signals, such as microbial products or ATP released from damaged cells, they migrate to lymph nodes to activate T cells and initiate the adaptive immune response. Sáez et al. found that ATP stimulated P2X7 receptors in DCs, which resulted in the opening of pannexin 1 (Panx1) channels and the release of ATP as part of an autocrine loop that increased DC migration speed. DCs from Panx1-deficient mice migrated more slowly than did DCs from wild-type mice. When injected into the footpads of mice, ATP-treated Panx1-deficient DCs exhibited defective migration to draining lymph nodes. Together, these data suggest that P2X7 receptors and Panx1 channels facilitate the speedy migration of DCs to lymph nodes in response to danger signals.
Mechanisms for fast cell migration in complex environments (Current Opinion in Cell Biology).
Pablo Vargas, Lucie Barbier, Pablo José Sáez, Matthieu Piel.
We review recent progress in understanding the mechanisms used by leukocytes to move rapidly and efficiently in intricate anatomical landscapes. We shall focus on specific cytoskeletal rearrangements used by neutrophils and dendritic cells to migrate within confined environments. Lastly, we will describe the properties that facilitate the rapid migration of leukocyte in complex tissue geometries.
Fluorescence eXclusion Measurement of volume in live cells (Methods in cell Biology).
C Cadart, E Zlotek-Zlotkiewicz, L Venkova, O Thouvenin, V Racine, M Le Berre, S Monnier, M Piel.
Volume is a basic physical property of cells; however, it has been poorly investigated in cell biology so far, mostly because it is difficult to measure it precisely. Recently, large efforts were made to experimentally measure mammalian cell size and used mass, density, or volume as proxies for cell size. Here, we describe a method enabling cell volume measurements for single living cells. The method is based on the principle of fluorescent dye exclusion and can be easily implemented in cell biology laboratories. As this method is very versatile, it can be used for cells of different sizes, adherent or growing in suspension, over several cell cycles and is independent of cell shape changes. The method is also compatible with traditional cell biology tools such as epifluorescence imaging or drug treatments.
eLabFTW: An open source laboratory notebook for research labs (The Journal of Open Source Software).
Nicolas Carpi, Alexander Minges, and Matthieu Piel.
2016
ESCRT III repairs nuclear envelope ruptures during cell migration to limit DNA damage and cell death (Science).
M Raab, M Gentili, H de Belly, H R Thiam, P Vargas, A J Jimenez, F Lautenschlaeger, Raphaël Voituriez, A M Lennon-Duménil, N Manel, M Piel.
We found that the nuclear envelope opened at high frequency in migrating mammalian cells during interphase, which allowed nuclear proteins to leak out and cytoplasmic proteins to leak in. This transient opening was caused by nuclear deformation and was rapidly repaired in an ESCRT (endosomal sorting complexes required for transport)–dependent manner.
Perinuclear Arp2/3-driven actin polymerization enables nuclear deformation to facilitate cell migration through complex environments (Nature Communications).
Hawa-Racine Thiam, Pablo Vargas, Nicolas Carpi, Carolina Lage Crespo, Matthew Raab, Emmanuel Terriac, Megan C King, Jordan Jacobelli, Arthur S Alberts, Theresia Stradal, Ana-Maria Lennon-Dumenil, Matthieu Piel
We show that dendritic cells possess a mechanism to pass through micrometric constrictions. This mechanism is based on a rapid Arp2/3-dependent actin nucleation around the nucleus that disrupts the nuclear lamina, the main structure limiting nuclear deformability.
Innate control of actin nucleation determines two distinct migration behaviours in dendritic cells (Nature Cell Biology).
We show that the migration of immature DCs depends on two main actin pools: a RhoA–mDia1-dependent actin pool located at their rear, which facilitates forward locomotion; and a Cdc42–Arp2/3-dependent actin pool present at their front, which limits migration but promotes antigen capture.
Deterministic patterns in cell motility (Nature Physics).
Ido Lavi, Matthieu Piel, Ana-Maria Lennon-Duménil, Raphaël Voituriez and Nir S. Gov
We propose a physical model of such a competitive system, namely dendritic cells whose antigen capture function and migratory ability are coupled by myosin II. The model predicts that this coupling gives rise to a dynamic instability, whereby cells switch from persistent migration to unidirectional self-oscillation, through a Hopf bifurcation. Cells can then switch to periodic polarity reversals through a homoclinic bifurcation. These predicted dynamic regimes are characterized by robust features that we identify through in vitro trajectories of dendritic cells over long timescales and distances. We expect that competition for limited resources in other migrating cell types can lead to similar deterministic migration modes.
A Predictive Model for Yeast Cell Polarization in Pheromone Gradients (Plos Computational Biology).
Nicolas Muller, Matthieu Piel, Vincent Calvez, Raphaël Voituriez, Joana Gonçalves-Sá, Chin-Lin Guo, Xingyu Jiang, Andrew Murray, Nicolas Meunier.
We used quantitative measurements of the response of a cells to α-factor to produce a predictive model of yeast polarization towards a pheromone gradient. We fit all the parameters of the mathematical model by using quantitative data on spontaneous polarization in uniform pheromone concentration. Once these parameters have been computed, and without any further fit, our model quantitatively predicts the yeast cell response to pheromone gradient providing an important step toward understanding how cells communicate with each other.
2015
Optical volume and mass measurements show that mammalian cells swell during mitosis (Journal of Cell Biology).
Ewa Zlotek-Zlotkiewicz, Sylvain Monnier, Giovanni Cappello, Mael Le Berre, Matthieu Piel.
We report that a large range of mammalian cell types display a significant increase in volume during mitosis (up to 30%). We further show that this increase in volume is tightly linked to the mitotic state of the cell and not to its spread or rounded shape and is independent of the presence of an intact actomyosin cortex. Importantly, this volume increase is not accompanied by an increase in dry mass and thus corresponds to a decrease in cell density. This mitotic swelling might have important consequences for mitotic progression: it might contribute to produce strong pushing forces, allowing mitotic cells to round up; it might also, by lowering cytoplasmic density, contribute to the large change of physicochemical properties observed in mitotic cells.
Cell migration and antigen capture are antagonistic processes coupled by myosin II in dendritic cells (Nature Communication).
Mélanie Chabaud, Mélina L Heuzé, Marine Bretou, Pablo Vargas, Paolo Maiuri, Paola Solanes, Mathieu Maurin, Emmanuel Terriac, Maël Le Berre, Danielle Lankar, Tristan Piolot, Robert S Adelstein, Yingfan Zhang, Michael Sixt, Jordan Jacobelli, Olivier Bénichou, Raphaël Voituriez, Matthieu Piel, Ana-Maria Lennon-Duménil.
The myosin IIA enrichment at the cell front requires the MHC class II-associated invariant chain (Ii). Thus, by controlling myosin IIA localization, Ii imposes on dendritic cells an intermittent antigen capture behaviour that might facilitate environment patrolling. We propose that the requirement for myosin II in both cell migration and specific cell functions may provide a general mechanism for their coordination in time and space.
Actin flows mediate a universal coupling between cell speed and cell persistence (Cell).
Movie of mBMDCs in 2D
Confinement
Paolo Maiuri, Jean-François Rupprecht, Stefan Wieser, Verena Ruprecht, Olivier Bénichou, Nicolas Carpi, Mathieu Coppey, Simon De Beco, Nir Gov, Carl-Philipp Heisenberg, Carolina Lage Crespo, Franziska Lautenschlaeger, Maël Le Berre, Ana-Maria Lennon-Dumenil, Matthew Raab, Hawa-Racine Thiam, Matthieu Piel, Michael Sixt, Raphaël Voituriez.
We show on the basis of experimental data in vitro and in vivo that cell persistence, which quantifies the straightness of trajectories, is robustly coupled to cell migration speed. We suggest that this universal coupling constitutes a generic law of cell migration, which originates in the advection of polarity cues by an actin cytoskeleton undergoing flows at the cellular scale.
Laser induced wounding of the plasma membrane and methods to study the repair process (Methods in Cell Biology).
Ana J Jimenez, Paolo Maiuri, Julie Lafaurie-Janvore, Franck Perez, Matthieu Piel.
The following protocol is a simple and powerful method to damage the plasma membrane using laser ablation. It allows the induction of a single and localized wound at the plasma membrane of cultured cells, which can be followed with fast time-lapse imaging. The first part of the protocol describes simple cell culture techniques and the material ideal to make the experiments. A second part of the protocol gives advice about the procedures to make effective wounds in cells while ensuring a good survival rate. We also propose different ways to follow the opening and closure of the plasma membrane. Finally, we describe the procedure to efficiently analyze the data acquired after single cell photodamage to characterize the wounding process.
Confinement and Low Adhesion Induce Fast Amoeboid Migration of Slow Mesenchymal Cells (Cell).
Yan-Jun Liu, Maël Le Berre, Franziska Lautenschlaeger, Paolo Maiuri, Andrew Callan-Jones, Mélina Heuzé, Tohru Takaki, Raphaël Voituriez, Matthieu Piel.
We investigated how confinement and adhesion affect mesenchymal-amoeboid transition. We report that, in the absence of focal adhesions and under conditions of confinement, mesenchymal cells can spontaneously switch to a fast amoeboid migration phenotype.
2014
Exploring the function of cell shape and size during mitosis (Developmental Cell).
Clotilde Cadart, Ewa Zlotek-Zlotkiewicz, Maël Le Berre, Matthieu Piel, Helen K Matthews.
Dividing cells almost always adopt a spherical shape. This is true of most eukaryotic cells lacking a rigid cell wall and is observed in tissue culture and single-celled organisms, as well as in cells dividing inside tissues. While the mechanisms underlying this shape change are now well described, the functional importance of the spherical mitotic cell for the success of cell division has been thus far scarcely addressed. Here we discuss how mitotic rounding contributes to spindle assembly and positioning, as well as the potential consequences of abnormal mitotic cell shape and size on chromosome segregation, tissue growth, and cancer.
Methods for two-dimensional cell confinement (Methods in Cell Biology).
Maël Le Berre, Ewa Zlotek-Zlotkiewicz, Daria Bonazzi, Franziska Lautenschlaeger, Matthieu Piel.
Protocols described in this chapter relate to a method to dynamically confine cells in two dimensions with various microenvironments. It can be used to impose on cells a given height, with an accuracy of less than 100 nm on large surfaces (cm(2)). The method is based on the gentle application of a modified glass coverslip onto a standard cell culture. Depending on the preparation, this confinement slide can impose on the cells a given geometry but also an environment of controlled stiffness, controlled adhesion, or a more complex environment. An advantage is that the method is compatible with most optical microscopy technologies and molecular biology protocols allowing advanced analysis of confined cells. In this chapter, we first explain the principle and issues of using these slides to confine cells in a controlled geometry and describe their fabrication. Finally, we discuss how the nature of the confinement slide can vary and provide an alternative method to confine cells with gels of controlled rigidity.
ESCRT machinery is required for plasma membrane repair (Science).
Jimenez AJ, Maiuri P, Lafaurie-Janvore J, Divoux S, Piel M, Perez F.
We found that endosomal sorting complex required for transport (ESCRT), involved previously in membrane budding and fission, plays a critical role in plasma membrane repair. ESCRT proteins were recruited within seconds to plasma membrane wounds. Quantitative analysis of wound closure kinetics coupled to mathematical modeling suggested that ESCRTs are involved in the repair of small wounds. Real-time imaging and correlative scanning electron microscopy (SEM) identified extracellular buds and shedding at the site of ESCRT recruitment. Thus, the repair of certain wounds is ensured by ESCRT-mediated extracellular shedding of wounded portions.
2013
Geometric friction directs cell migration (Physical Review Letters).
M Le Berre, Yan-Jun Liu, J Hu, Paolo Maiuri, O Bénichou, R Voituriez, Y Chen, M Piel .
In the absence of environmental cues, a migrating cell performs an isotropic random motion. Recently, the breaking of this isotropy has been observed when cells move in the presence of asymmetric adhesive patterns. However, up to now the mechanisms at work to direct cell migration in such environments remain unknown. Here, we show that a nonadhesive surface with asymmetric microgeometry consisting of dense arrays of tilted micropillars can direct cell motion. Our analysis reveals that most features of cell trajectories, including the bias, can be reproduced by a simple model of active Brownian particle in a ratchet potential, which we suggest originates from a generic elastic interaction of the cell body with the environment. The observed guiding effect, independent of adhesion, is therefore robust and could be used to direct cell migration both in vitro and in vivo.
Migration of dendritic cells: physical principles, molecular mechanisms, and functional implications (Immunological Reviews).
Mélina L. Heuzé, Pablo Vargas, Mélanie Chabaud, Maël Le Berre, Yan-Jun Liu, Olivier Collin, Paola Solanes, Raphaël Voituriez, Matthieu Piel, Ana-Maria Lennon-Duménil.
Dendritic cells (DCs) constitute a complex cell population that resides in both peripheral tissues and lymphoid organs. Their major function in tissues is to patrol their environment in search of danger-associated antigens to transport to lymph nodes and present to T lymphocytes. This process constitutes the first step of the adaptive immune response and relies on specific DC properties, including a high endocytic capacity as well as efficient motility in confined three-dimensional environments. Although cell motility has been widely studied, little is known on how the geometric characteristics of the environment influence DC migration and function. In this review, we give an overview of the basic physical principles and molecular mechanisms that control DC migration under confinement and discuss how such mechanisms impact the environment-patrolling capacity of DCs.
Mitotic Rounding Alters Cell Geometry to Ensure Efficient Bipolar Spindle Formation (Developmental Cell).
Oscar M. Lancaster, Maël Le Berre, Andrea Dimitracopoulos, Daria Bonazzi, Ewa Zlotek-Zlotkiewicz, Remigio Picone, Thomas Duke, Matthieu Piel, Buzz Baum.
We show that a failure to round up causes defects in spindle assembly, pole splitting, and a delay in mitotic progression. These defects can be rescued by increasing microtubule lengths and therefore appear to be a direct consequence of the limited reach of mitotic centrosome-nucleated microtubules. These findings help to explain why most animal cells round up as they enter mitosis.
ESCRT-III assembly and cytokinetic abscission are induced by tension release in the intercellular bridge (Science).
Julie Lafaurie-Janvore, Paolo Maiuri, Irène Wang, Mathieu Pinot, Jean-Baptiste Manneville, Timo Betz, Martial Balland, Matthieu Piel.
We found that pulling forces exerted by daughter cells on the intercellular bridge appear to regulate abscission. Counterintuitively, these forces prolonged connection, whereas a release of tension induced abscission.
Microfabricated devices for cell biology: all for one and one for all (Current Opinion in Cell Biology).
Franziska Lautenschla¨ ger and Matthieu Piel.
Individual cells in their native physiological states face a dynamic multi-factorial environment. This is true of both single-celled and multi-cellular organisms. A key challenge in cell biology is the design of experimental methods and specific assays to disentangle the contribution of each of the parameters governing cell behavior. After decades of studying cells cultured in Petri dishes or on glass coverslips, researchers can now benefit from a range of recent technological developments that allow them to study cells in a variety of contexts, with different levels of complexity and control over a range of environmental parameters. These technologies include new types of microscopy for detailed imaging of large cell aggregates or even whole tissues, and the development of cell culture substrates, such as 3D matrices. Here we will review the contribution of a third type of tool, collectively known as microfabricated tools. Derived from techniques originally developed for microelectronics, these tools range in size from hundreds of microns to hundreds of nanometers.
Triggering Cell Adhesion, Migration or Shape Change with a Dynamic Surface Coating (Advanced Materials).
Stijn F. M. van Dongen, Paolo Maiuri, Emmanuelle Marie, Christophe Tribet, Matthieu Piel.
There's an APP for that: cell-repellent APP (azido-[polylysine-g-PEG]) is used to create substrates for spatially controlled dynamic cell adhesion. The simple addition of a functional peptide to the culture medium rapidly triggers cell adhesion. This highly accessible yet powerful technique allows diverse applications, demonstrated through tissue motility assays, patterned coculturing and triggered cell shape change.
2012
Fine control of nuclear confinement identifies a threshold deformation leading to lamina rupture and induction of specific genes (Integrative Biology).
Maël Le Berre, Johannes Aubertin, Matthieu Piel.
We propose a simple and versatile device to precisely and dynamically control this confinement parameter in cultured cells. We show that there is a precise threshold deformation above which the nuclear lamina breaks and reconstructs, whereas nuclear volume changes. We also show that different nuclear deformations correlate with the expression of specific sets of genes, including nuclear factors and classical mechanotransduction pathways. This versatile device thus enables the precise control of cell and nuclear deformation by confinement and the correlative study of the associated molecular events.
Common mechanisms regulating cell cortex properties during cell division and cell migration (Cytoskeleton).
Chantal Roubinet, Phong T Tran, Matthieu Piel.
Starting from the similarities in shape changes and underlying mechanical properties, we further propose that the analogy between cell division and cell migration might run deeper, down to the basic molecular mechanisms driving cell cortex remodeling. We focus our attention on how an heterogeneous and dynamic cortex can be generated to allow cell shape changes while preserving cell integrity.
Predicting division plane position and orientation (Trends Cell Biology).
Nicolas Minc, Matthieu Piel.
Predicting cellular behavior is a major challenge in cell and developmental biology. Since the late nineteenth century, empirical rules have been formulated to predict the position and orientation of mitotic cleavage planes in plant and animal cells. Here, we review the history of division plane orientation rules and discuss recent experimental and theoretical studies that refine these rules and provide mechanistic insights into how division can be predicted. We describe why some of these rules may better apply to certain cell types and developmental contexts and discuss how they could be integrated in the future to allow the prediction of division positioning in tissues.
The first world cell race (Current Biology).
Paolo Maiuri, Emmanuel Terriac, Perrine Paul-Gilloteaux, Timothée Vignaud, Krista McNally, James Onuffer, Kurt Thorn, Phuong A Nguyen, Nefeli Georgoulia, Daniel Soong, Asier Jayo, Nina Beil, Jürgen Beneke, Joleen Chooi Hong Lim, Chloe Pei-Ying Sim, Yeh-Shiu Chu; WCR participants; Andrea Jiménez-Dalmaroni, Jean-François Joanny, Jean-Paul Thiery, Holger Erfle, Maddy Parsons, Timothy J Mitchison, Wendell A Lim, Ana-Maria Lennon-Duménil, Matthieu Piel, Manuel Théry.
2011
Robust Method for High-Throughput Surface Patterning of Deformable Substrates (Langmuir).
Ammar Azioune, Nicolas Carpi, Jenny Fink, Mohamed M. Chehimi, Damien Cuvelier, Matthieu Piel.
We describe a simple and robust method for high-throughput surface patterning of deformable substrates such as silicone rubber films covered with a thin layer of protein and cell antifouling hydrogel (PLL-g-PEG). The irradiation with deep UV (<200 nm) of PLL-g-PEG-coated rubber substrates through a synthetic quartz photomask created micropatterns over a large area of the substrate. Incubation with proteins resulted in stable patterns with high feature resolution. RPE1 cells seeded on fibronectin patterns were constrained for days even after stretching. We also propose the crossbow feature as an interesting example allowing the stretching of normalized stress fibers.
External forces control mitotic spindle positioning (Nature Cell Biology).
Jenny Fink, Nicolas Carpi, Timo Betz, Angelique Bétard, Meriem Chebah, Ammar Azioune, Michel Bornens, Cecile Sykes, Luc Fetler, Damien Cuvelier, Matthieu Piel.
The response of cells to forces is essential for tissue morphogenesis and homeostasis. This response has been extensively investigated in interphase cells, but it remains unclear how forces affect dividing cells. We used a combination of micro-manipulation tools on human dividing cells to address the role of physical parameters of the micro-environment in controlling the cell division axis, a key element of tissue morphogenesis. We found that forces applied on the cell body direct spindle orientation during mitosis. We further show that external constraints induce a polarization of dynamic subcortical actin structures that correlate with spindle movements. We propose that cells divide according to cues provided by their mechanical micro-environment, aligning daughter cells with the external force field.
Cell migration in confinement: a micro-channel-based assay (Cell Migration: Developmental Methods and Protocols).
Mélina L Heuzé, Olivier Collin, Emmanuel Terriac, Ana-Maria Lennon-Duménil, Matthieu Piel.
This chapter describes a method to study cells migrating in micro-channels, a confining environment of well-defined geometry. This assay is a complement to more complex 3D migration systems and provides several advantages even if it does not recapitulate the full complexity of 3D migration. Important parameters such as degree of adhesion, degree of confinement, mechanical properties, and geometry can be varied independently of each other. The device is fully compatible with almost any type of light microscopy and the simple geometry makes automated analysis very easy to perform, which allows screening strategy. The chapters is divided into five parts describing the design of different types of migration chambers, the fabrication of a mold by photolithography, the assembly of the chamber, the loading of cells, and finally the imaging on live or fixed cells.
2010
Protein micropatterns: A direct printing protocol using deep UVs (Methods in Cell Biology).
Ammar Azioune, Nicolas Carpi, Qingzong Tseng, Manuel Théry, Matthieu Piel.
The described protocol is a simple method to make protein micropatterns with a micron size resolution. It can be applied to control cell shape and adhesive geometry, and also for any other assay requiring protein patterning. It is based on the use of a photomask with microfeatures to locally irradiate with deep UV light (below 200 nm) an antifouling substrate, making it locally adsorbing for proteins. The entire process can be subdivided into three main parts. The first part describes the design of a photomask. The second part describes the passivation (antifouling treatment) of the substrate, its irradiation, and the binding of proteins. The entire process can be completed in a couple of hours. It requires no expensive equipment and can be performed in any biology lab. The last part describes cell deposition on the micropatterned substrate. We also provide a discussion with pitfalls and alternative techniques adapted to various substrates, including silicone elastomers.
2009
Spontaneous contractility-mediated cortical flow generates cell migration in three-dimensional environments (Biophysical Journal).
Rhoda J Hawkins, Renaud Poincloux, Olivier Bénichou, Matthieu Piel, Philippe Chavrier, Raphaël Voituriez.
We present a model of cell motility generated by actomyosin contraction of the cell cortex. We identify, analytically, dynamical instabilities of the cortex and show that they yield steady-state cortical flows, which, in turn, can induce cell migration in three-dimensional environments. This mechanism relies on the regulation of contractility by myosin, whose transport is explicitly taken into account in the model. Theoretical predictions are compared to experimental data of tumor cells migrating in three-dimensional matrigel and suggest that this mechanism could be a general mode of cell migration in three-dimensional environments.
Adhesive micropatterns for cells: a microcontact printing protocol (Cold Spring Harbor Protocoles).
Manuel Théry, Matthieu Piel.
This protocol describes a simple, fast, and efficient method for making adhesive micropatterns that can be used to control individual cell shape and adhesion patterns. It is based on the use of an elastomeric stamp containing microfeatures to print proteins on the substrate of choice. The process can be subdivided into three parts. First, a silicon master is fabricated, which contains the microfeatures of interest. Once fabricated, the master can be used multiple times to make stamps. Masters with customized patterns can also be purchased commercially. Second, a polydimethylsiloxane (PDMS) stamp is fabricated. Unlike fabrication of the master, this step can be performed without specialized equipment. The PDMS stamp is inked with extracellular matrix proteins. Proteins are printed on a substrate (e.g., a tissue culture polystyrene dish or a glass coverslip covered with a thin layer of polystyrene). The nonprinted areas are back-filled with poly-L-lysine-polyethylene glycol, which renders them resistant to cell adhesion. The production of these micropatterned substrates can be completed in <2 h. The third and final portion of the protocol describes the deposition of cells onto the micropatterned substrate.
Simple and rapid process for single cell micro-patterning (Lab on a chip).
Ammar Azioune, Marko Storch, Michel Bornens, Manuel Théry, Matthieu Piel.
We present a simple and environmentally friendly process for cell patterning on glass covered with an ultrathin layer of poly-l-lysine-grafted-polyethylene glycol (PLL-g-PEG) by exposure to deep UV light. The patterned substrates are stable for months in the lab atmosphere before incubation with proteins. Incubation with proteins resulted in well defined patterns, with high feature resolution. RPE-1 cells seeded on fibronectin/fibrinogen-Alexa 488 patterns were constrained for days on the deep UV exposed regions. Finally, large glass plates were patterned with high homogeneity enabling the assembly of micro-patterned microplates in 96-well format.
2008
Physical Mechanisms Redirecting Cell Polarity and Cell Shape in Fission Yeast (Current Biology).
Courtney R. Terenna, Tatyana Makushok, Guilhem Velve-Casquillas, Damien Baigl, Yong Chen, Michel Bornens, Anne Paoletti, Matthieu Piel, Phong T. Tran.
We show that when wild-type rod-shaped cells are physically forced to grow in a bent fashion, they will reorganize their cytoskeleton and redirect cell polarity to make new ectopic cell tips. Moreover, when bent or round mutant cells are physically forced to conform to the wild-type rod-shape, they will reverse their mutational phenotypes by reorganizing their cytoskeleton to maintain proper wild-type-like localization of microtubules, cell-membrane proteins, and actin. Our study provides direct evidence that the cytoskeleton controls cell polarity and cell shape and demonstrates that cell shape also controls the organization of the cytoskeleton in a feedback loop. We present a model of the feedback loop to explain how fission yeast maintain a rod shape and how perturbation of specific parameters of the loop can lead to different cell shapes.
Physical Mechanisms Redirecting Cell Polarity and Cell Shape in Fission Yeast (Science).
Gabrielle Faure-André, Pablo Vargas, Maria-Isabel Yuseff, Mélina Heuzé, Jheimmy Diaz, Danielle Lankar, Veronica Steri, Jeremy Manry, Stéphanie Hugues, Fulvia Vascotto, Jérôme Boulanger, Graça Raposo, Maria-Rosa Bono, Mario Rosemblatt, Matthieu Piel, Ana-Maria Lennon-Duménil.
Dendritic cells (DCs) sample peripheral tissues of the body in search of antigens to present to T cells. This requires two processes, antigen processing and cell motility, originally thought to occur independently. We found that the major histocompatibility complex II-associated invariant chain (Ii or CD74), a known regulator of antigen processing, negatively regulates DC motility in vivo. By using microfabricated channels to mimic the confined environment of peripheral tissues, we found that wild-type DCs alternate between high and low motility, whereas Ii-deficient cells moved in a faster and more uniform manner. The regulation of cell motility by Ii depended on the actin-based motor protein myosin II. Coupling antigen processing and cell motility may enable DCs to more efficiently detect and process antigens within a defined space.
Protocols
Protocols, Methods and Ressources Books Team Piel
Books
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Micropatterning in Cell Biology Collection : Matthieu Piel & Manuel Théry
Microfluidics in Cell Biology Collection : Junsang Doh, Daniel Fletcher & Matthieu Piel
Methods and Ressources
- Chapter 14 in Methods in Cell Biology (volume 139)
Fluorescence eXclusion Measurement of volume in live cells
- Chapter 11 in Methods in Cell Biology (volume 137)
Micromanipulation of daughter cells for the study of cytokinetic abscission
- Chapter 21 in Methods in Cell Biology (volume 125)
Laser induced wounding of the plasma membrane and methods to study the repair process
- Chapter 14 in Methods in Cell Biology (volume 121)
Methods for Two-Dimensional Cell Confinement
- Chapter 11 in Methods in Cell Biology (volume 120)
A Reagent-Based Dynamic Trigger for Cell Adhesion, Shape Change, or Cocultures
- Scientific Reports : On-Chip Quantitative Measurement of Mechanical Stresses During Cell Migration with Emulsion Droplets
Protocols
- Micro-patterning on glass with deep UV light. [Protocol Exchange]
- Micro-patterning on PDMS with deep UV light [Protocol Exchange]
Videos
- Stretching Micropatterned Cells on a PDMS membrane [Direct download link]
- HeLa cell dividing on L pattern
- HeLa cells dividing with Tubulin-GFP and Histon-mcherry
- L929 cells spreading on pattern of fibronectin on glass
Magazine
Globule, le magazine de toutes les cellules
Script, text and drawing: Renaud Chabrier
Assistants: Bertsy Goic et Ameya Murukutla
Scientific direction: Matthieu Piel et Ana-Maria Lennon
Software
eLabFTW − free and open source electronic lab notebook
Creator : Nicolas Carpi
Alumni & Links
Alumni
Guilherme Nader finished his post-doctorate in July 2022. He studied the consequences of the loss of integrity of the nuclear envelope caused by the deformation of the nucleus in confined microenvironments. He is now Team Leader at the Children's Hospital of the Philadelphia Research Institute (CHOP) affiliated with the Perelman School of Medicine at the University of Pennsylvania. His team's basic research focuses on: nuclear mechano-sensing of cells that grow and move in dense microenvironments such as tumor microenvironment, interstitial space or dense tissues.
Pablo Vargas was a Researcher in the team from 2015 to 2022. He created the MOTILE team, which was dedicated to the development of innovative tools to study the migration of immune cells at the single cell level in controlled micro-environments. He is now Team Leader at the Necker Institute, Pablo studies the link between leukocyte migration and immune disorders, and also develops microfabricated technologies on Necker campus, facilitating the study of single-cell mechanics in smears patients.
Larisa Venkova did her thesis and a post-doctorate in the team, where she studied in particular the regulation of cell volume in response to deformations. Larisa is now post-doctoral fellow at the Cellular Biochemistry and Genetics Institute of Bordeaux
Read her thesis & Google Scholar Profile
Juan Manuel Garcia Arcos did his thesis in the team. He studied the mechanism of stabilization and motility of the blebs of confined cancer cells. He is now a post-doctoral fellow in the team of Aurélien Roux, at the University of Geneva, where he studies the link between: dynamics of the cell cortex and tension of the plasma membrane
Read his thesis & Google Scholar Profile
Aastha Mathur did her post-doctoral research on the study of the mechanics of 3D cell motility using a simplified system. She is now Data Scientist within the Euro-BioImaging company.
Pablo J. Sáez did his post-doctoral work on the migration of immune cells in a confined environment. He is now team leader at Universitätsklinikum Hamburg-Eppendorf in Germany.
Twitter Profile & ResearchGate Profile
Zahraa Alraies did her thesis, jointly supervised with the team of Ana-Maria Lennon, on the transcriptional response of dendritic cells to mechanical stress which dictates their homeostatic migration towards the lymph node. She also investigated the role of nuclear envelope integrity in cellular aging. Zahraa continues her research as a post-doctoral fellow in the team of Ana-Maria Lennon.
Read her thesis & Curie Institute Profile
Lucie Barbier did her thesis in the team, on the study of cellular mechanisms allowing the migration of dendritic cells in restricted spaces. She is now a post-doctoral fellow in the team of Marie-Hélène Verlhac et Marie-Emilie Terret, within the Interdisciplinary Center for Research in Biology (CIRB) of the Collége de France.
Read her thesis & Twitter Profile
Valentin Laplaud did his thesis, jointly supervised with the team of Olivia Du Roure, on the study of deformations of the nucleus and of the actin cytoskeleton during cell migration in confined environments, and by the use of magnetic tools. He is now a post-doctoral fellow in the team of Arezki Boudaoud's, where he develops experimental systems to study the physics behind biological systems.
Read his thesis & Twitter Profile
Ido Lavi did his thesis, jointly supervised with the team of Raphaël Voituriez, on the physical modeling of cell motility and morphodynamics. He is now a post-doctoral fellow at the University of Barcelona, within the Institute of Complex Systems.
Read his thesis & UBICS Profile
Rafaele Attia carried out her post-doctorate on the study of the migration of immune cells in a confined environment, and in particular on the importance of Myosin II in the migration of dendritic cells. Rafaele is now a Research Engineer at the Roscoff biological station, where she develops microfluidic tools for cell biology and in particular the production of single cells in live imaging.
Clotilde Cadart completed her thesis on the homeostasis of the size of animal cells in culture. She is now working on the consequences of ploidy on the size and growth of Xenopus embryo cells, in the Heald lab in Berkely, California (USA).
Hawa-Racine Thiam completed her thesis on cell migration under confinement, and she is now Team Leader at Stanford University.
Website of her team & ResearchGate Profile
Paolo Maiuri, post-doctoral fellow in the team between 2012 and 2015, he is now Team Leader at the University of Naples - Frederick II.
Website of his team & ResearchGate Profile
Franziska Lautenschlaeger, post-doctoral fellow in the team between 2012-2013, she is now team leader at the University of Saarlandes in Saarbrücken in Germany.
Web site of her team & ResearchGate Profile
Yanjun Liu, post-doctoral fellow in the team between 2012-2014, she is now team leader at Fudan University, China.
Alexis Lomakin, post-doc in the team between 2016-2017, he is now team leader at the Medical University of Vienna.
Links Team Piel
Collaborators
- CytoMorphoLab : Laurent BLANCHOIN & Manuel THERY
- Renaud CHABRIER
- Philippe CHAVRIER
- Mathieu COPPEY
- Olivia DU ROURE
- Bertsy GOIC
- Julien HEUVINGH
- Ana-Maria LENNON
- Nicolas MANEL
- Raphael RODRIGUEZ
- Pablo VARGAS
- Raphaël VOITURIEZ
Videos
- How to use the cell confiner
- Cell confinement protocol
- HeLa cell dividing on L pattern
- HeLa cells dividing with Tubulin-GFP and Histon-mcherry
- L929 cells spreading on pattern of fibronectin on glass
Code
- eLabFTW − free and open source electronic lab notebook (PHP/MySQL)
