Quantitative Morphological Signatures Define Local Signaling Networks Regulating Cell Morphology

• Published in: Science (American Association for the Advancement of Science) Vol. 316; no. 5832; pp. 1753 - 1756
• Main Authors: Bakal, Chris, Aach, John, Church, George, Perrimon, Norbert
• Format: Journal Article
• Language: English
• Published: Washington, DC American Association for the Advancement of Science 22-06-2007; The American Association for the Advancement of Science
• Subjects: Animals; Biochemistry; Biological and medical sciences; Cell Line; Cell lines; Cell motility; Cell Movement - genetics; Cell Movement - physiology; Cell Shape - genetics; Cell Shape - physiology; Cell structures and functions; Cellular biology; Double stranded RNA; Drosophila; Epithelial cells; Fundamental and applied biological sciences. Psychology; Gene expression regulation; Genetic screening; Genetics; Green Fluorescent Proteins; Metabolic Networks and Pathways - genetics; Miscellaneous; Molecular and cellular biology; Phenotype; Phenotypes; Proteins; Pseudopodia; RNA Interference; Signal transduction; Signal Transduction - genetics; Signatures; Regulation(control); Analysis method; Cell morphology; Cell signaling
• ISSN: 0036-8075; 1095-9203
• DOI: 10.1126/science.1140324

Although classical genetic and biochemical approaches have identified hundreds of proteins that function in the dynamic remodeling of cell shape in response to upstream signals, there is currently little systems-level understanding of the organization and composition of signaling networks that regulate cell morphology. We have developed quantitative morphological profiling methods to systematically investigate the role of individual genes in the regulation of cell morphology in a fast, robust, and cost-efficient manner. We analyzed a compendium of quantitative morphological signatures and described the existence of local signaling networks that act to regulate cell protrusion, adhesion, and tension.