Strains of M. tuberculosis during infection

Tom Carter group

Secretory organelle formation, trafficking and exocytosis

To survive and function correctly cells must sense and respond to their environment. This is largely achieved through the incorporation of integral membrane proteins (e.g. hormone receptors, ion channels, adhesion molecules etc) and lipid components into the cell surface membrane and the secretion of soluble proteins in to the external environment (e.g. hormones, transmitters, morphogens etc). The correct delivery of virtually all such molecules to the cell surface or extracellular milieu involves a complex intracellular machine collectively called the secretory pathway.

Our group works on the secretory pathway using Endothelial Cells (ECs) and the Weibel-Palade body (Figure 1), as our model system. We use molecular, biochemical and live cell optical imaging techniques to study the formation, trafficking (Movie 1) and exocytosis (Movies 2-4) and physical properties (Movie 7) of secretory organelles; the containers that store and ultimately deliver proteins to the cell surface and extracellular milieu.

Figure 1 - Weibel Palade bodies

Figure 1 - Weibel Palade bodies

Click image to view at full-size

Immunofluorescence (confocal) image of a single human umbilical vien endothelial cell (HUVEC) triple stained for 3 separate WPB specific cargo molecules including VWF (green). N; cell nucleus. EM images show longitudinal (left) and cross sections (right) through WPBs in a plastic embedded HUVEC (EM images courtesy of Lindsay Hewlett and Matthew Hannah, NIMR).

Gallery

Collaborators

  • We collaborate with David Ogden (Universite Paris Descartes, France) and Gregor Zupancic (Univ. of Llubljana, Slovenia) to refine the analysis of high resolution optical approaches to study exocytosis of single secretory organelles, with Paul Skehel (Edingurgh Univ.), Matthew Hannah (NIMR) and Vincent O'Connor (Southampton Univ.) to investigate the molecular basis of exocytosis in endothelium, with Paul Skehel, Matthew Hannah and Paul le Tissier (NIMR) in the development of animal models in which to study exocytosis in vivo.
  • We collaborate with Matthew Hannah and Peter Rosenthal (NIMR) on high resolution structural analysis, by cryo-EM tomography, of secretory granules, their cargo and exocytosis, and with Justin Molloy (NIMR) and Gregory Mashanov on the behaviour of secretory granule membrane proteins at the single molecule level within living endothelial cells.
  • In conjunction with Matthew Hannah, David Ogden, Gregor Zupancic, Prof. Michelle Peckham (Leeds Univ.) and Justin Molloy we are working on the role of the cytoskeleton and associated molecular motors in secretory vesicle trafficking and exocytosis in endothelial cells.
  • We collaborate with Prof. Caroline Wheeler-Jones (RVC, London) to study the molecular regulation of protease-activated receptor medaited induction of cyclooxygenase-2 prostacyclin release in endothelial cells.

Selected publications

Carter group

Dr Tom Carter

Tom Carter
tcarter@nimr.mrc.ac.uk

Recent publications

Gallery

Carter biography

Our research themes

Click links to view others working on these themes

Top of page

© MRC National Institute for Medical Research
The Ridgeway, Mill Hill, London NW7 1AA