Laboratory for Cell Signaling Dynamics

Our group studies how signal transduction function of living cells arises spontaneously from the dynamics of intracellular reaction networks (design principles), and the mechanisms that allow these systems to process signals under the strong influence of thermal and stochastic noise (computation principles). As a typical example of stochastic biomolecular computation in living cells, we specifically focus on the gradient sensing and directional cell migration seen in the cellular slime mold Dictyostelium discoideum. In this research project, by combining advanced imaging techniques including single-molecule detection with theoretical modeling and in vitro techniques, we aim to better understand these two principles while at the same time develop the techniques necessary to do so.

Research Subjects

• Single-molecule biology of intracellular signaling system
• Synthetic biology of intracellular signaling system
• Molecular mechanism of spontaneous signal generation in living cells
• Single-molecule imaging analysis of the immune system

Publications

1. Matsuoka, S. Shibata, T. and Ueda, M.:
   "Asymmetric PTEN distribution regulated by spatial heterogeneity in membrane-binding state transitions"
   PLoS Computational Biology, 9, e1002862 (2013)
2. Tsujioka, M. Yumura, S., Inouye, K., Patel, H., Ueda, M. and Yonemura, S.:
   "Talin couples the actomyosin cortex to the plasma membrane during rear retraction and cytokinesis"
   Proc. Natl. Acad. Sci. USA., 109, 12992-12997 (2012)
3. Nishimura, S. I., Ueda, M. and Sasai, M.:
   "Non-Brownian dynamics and strategy of amoeboid cell locomotion"
   Physical Review E. 85, 041909.
4. Arai, Y., Shibata, T., Matsuoka, S., Sato, M. J., Yanagida, T., Ueda, M.:
   "Self-organization of the phosphatidylinositol lipids signaling system for random cell migration"
   Proc. Natl. Acad. Sci. USA. 107, 12399-12404 (2010)
5. Sato, M. J., Kuwayama, H., van Egmond, W. N., Takayama, A. L. K., Takagi, H., van Haastert, P. J. M., Yanagida, T., Ueda, M.:
   "Switching direction in electric-signal-induced cell migration by cyclic guanosine monophosphate and phosphatidylinositol signaling"
   Proc. Natl. Acad. Sci. USA. 106, 6667-6672 (2009)
6. Takagi, H., Sato, M. J., Yanagida, T., Ueda, M.:
   "Functional analysis of spontaneous cell movement under different physiological conditions"
   PLoS ONE 3(7), e2648 (2008)
7. Ueda, M., Shibata, T.:
   "Stochastic signal processing and transduction in chemotactic response of eukaryotic cells"
   Biophys. J. 93, 11-20 (2007)
8. Matsuoka, S., Iijima, M., Watanabe, T. M., Kuwayama, H. Yanagida, T., Devreotes, P., Ueda M.:
   "Single molecule analysis of chemoattractant-stimulated membrane recruitment of a PH domain-containing protein"
   J. Cell Sci. 119, 1071-1079 (2006)
9. Vazquez, F., Matsuoka, S., Sellers, W. R., Yanagida, T., Ueda, M., Devreotes, P.:
   "Tumor suppressor PTEN acts through dynamic interaction with the plasma membrane"
   Proc. Natl. Acad. Sci. USA 103, 3633-3638 (2006)
10. Ueda, M., Sako, Y., Tanaka, T., Devreotes, P., Yanagida, T.:
    "Single molecule analysis of chemotactic signaling in Dictyostelium cells"
    Science 294, 864-867 (2001)