Scientists organized "cell races"

Oleg Lischuk, N+1

An international group of biologists held a chemotaxis competition among cells, called Dicty World Race. The event was held in Boston in 2014, but the official report on it is published in PLoS ONE only now (Skoge et al., A Worldwide Competition to Compare the Speed and Chemotactic Accuracy of Neutrophil-Like Cells).

Chemotaxis (movement of cells towards a high concentration of a certain chemical) – this is a complex process that is of great importance for a number of physiological processes (for example, for the immune system). Despite numerous studies, much of it remains unclear. The organizers organized a "cell race" to deepen knowledge about the mechanisms of regulation of chemotaxis and stimulate work on this topic.

14 teams took part in the competition. All of them genetically modified and pharmacologically stimulated one of two types of model cells: Dictyostelium slime mold and HL60 human myeloid leukemia.

These cells were placed in millimeter silicone labyrinths with a gradient of chemoattractant (cAMP was used as a substance causing cell movement) and monitored using fluorescence microscopy. The race was stopped when the first 100 cells reached the finish line, the victory was awarded to the team whose cells in this hundred turned out to be the most.

The winners were a team from the Netherlands – the fraction of their cells was 48 percent. The genetic modification of Dictyostelium, which increased the activity of Ric8, helped them to achieve such results. This guanine nucleotide exchange factor serves as a G-protein activator and increases the sensitivity of the cell to the chemoattractant even at low concentrations. Thanks to this, the modified cells found a more direct path to the substance.

The organizers of the competition noted that the event helped bring together a diverse community of researchers and conduct a large-scale comparison of various factors affecting chemotaxis. They suggested using a similar approach to study other complex cellular processes, such as adhesion, phagocytosis, and others.

Portal "Eternal youth" http://vechnayamolodost.ru  24.06.2016