The Pieters Laboratory—About
T cells require the protein coronin 1 to reach and maintain their cell population size. The movie illustrates T cells dividing until their appropriate density has been reached, after which coronin 1 production reaches a plateau. As a result cell death (cells turning red) is initiated through LFA-1 and ICAM1 interactions to maintain the appropriate cell population size. (Animation: New Medium Center, University of Basel).
Unravelling the molecular mechanisms of cell density sensing
Maintenance of cell population size is fundamental to the proper functioning of multicellular organisms, yet the underlying mechanisms remain largely undefined. Our laboratory has recently defined members of the coronin protein family as key regulators of cell population size in a cell-intrinsic manner. The aim of our research is to analyze how coronin proteins orchestrate the processes involved in cell population size regulation and to delineate the molecular mechanisms involved.
Analyzing the coronin signaling pathway to understand how cells define their population size
Coronin proteins are expressed in all multicellular eukaryotes, having evolved at the time of unicellular-to-multicellular transition. In our laboratory, we are using multiple approaches to delineate coronin-mediated cell population size regulation, ranging from analysis of facultative multicellular amoeba, to in vitro and in vivo analysis of the coronin signaling pathway in mammals.
Coronin 1 and the modulation of auto- and alloimmunity
In a separate line of research, we are following up on our observations that besides regulating T cell population sizes, coronin 1 is required for immunity towards auto- and alloantigens, while being largely dispensable for immunity towards microbial infections. Within this work, we are seeking to better understand the mechanisms underlying auto/allo-specific immunity versus anti-microbial immunity.