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Unit
FRANCK PEREZ / RENATA BASTO
Cell Biology and Cancer (UMR144)

The mission of this unit is to understand the biogenesis of the cell compartments and the molecular mechanisms that govern normal cellular functions.

The main research themes of the unit include:

  • Transport pathways between compartments,
  • The dynamics of the actin- and microtubule-based cytoskeletons,
  • Three-dimensional structures of molecular motors,
  • Mechanisms of cell division and cell migration,
  • The mechanisms involved in establishing the polarity of epithelia and their differentiation,
  • Signalling pathways associated with tumour progression in several mouse models and human tumours,
  • Regulation of adhesive systems during morphogenesis and development.
Key figures
165
members in 2020
34
PhD students in 2020
82
publications in 2020
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9 Jun
2023
Seminar Cell Biology Series
11h-13h
MiniBAR is a dual Rac and Rab effector that controls cilia length and left-right asymmetry in vivo




Flagella and cilia are evolutionarily conserved microtubule-based protrusions essential for cell locomotion, fluid movement and sensing of extracellular cues. Primary cilia are found at the surface of most vertebrate cells and function as cellular antennas that detect various chemical and mechanical signals, thereby playing crucial roles in intracellular signaling and development.
9 Jun
2023
Seminar Cell Biology Series
11h-13h
MiniBAR is a dual Rac and Rab effector that controls cilia length and left-right asymmetry in vivo




Flagella and cilia are evolutionarily conserved microtubule-based protrusions essential for cell locomotion, fluid movement and sensing of extracellular cues. Primary cilia are found at the surface of most vertebrate cells and function as cellular antennas that detect various chemical and mechanical signals, thereby playing crucial roles in intracellular signaling and development.
17 May
2023
Seminar Cell Biology Series
14h-23h
The kinase Misshapen/MAP4K4 coordinates collective cell migrations
Collective cell migration is a crucial process during development, wound healing, and metastasis that requires coordinated cell behaviors at the group level. We identified MAP4K4 as a conserved regulator of collective cell migration. By studying Drosophila egg chamber border cells, we found that Misshapen, the MAP4K4 ortholog, coordinates protrusion formation and actomyosin contractility to promot
17 Apr
2023
Seminar Cell Biology Series
14h-23h
Cell Biological mechanisms mediating optimal immunosurveillance
Healthy immunity requires that T lymphocytes (T cells) perform immunosurveillance. To execute this function, T cells must (1) infiltrate complex tissues, (2) identify antigenic signatures of disease via specialized intercellular junctions termed immunological synapses, and (3) amplify antigen-triggered signaling at the synapse. The regulation of each of these processes is crucial for mounting an e
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