Dr. Antonio Scialdone
Getting fit for life: The role of cellular competition during mouse embryonic development
Institute: Institute of Epigenetics and Stem Cells, Helmholtz Munich
Abstract: Cell competition is a process whereby cells with higher fitness levels eliminate those that are less fit. While cell competition is present in a wide range of systems, it is still unclear what sets "winner" cells apart from "losers" and what its role is.
I will show how we found evidence of cell competition occurring in mouse embryos, in a crucial developmental time window preceding gastrulation. With single-cell analysis, we pinpointed the transcriptional signature of loser cells and found that they have mitochondrial defects.
Furthermore, I will discuss how mathematical modelling can suggest roles of cell competition that go beyond quality control.
Chair: Judith Arbeiter
Talk supported by GBM
