Intermediate filaments are abundant components of the cytoskeleton with fundamental contributions to tissue morphogenesis and homeostasis. Recent advances in microscopy have provided astounding details on the tissue- and cell type-specific arrangement and adaptive plasticity of intermediate filaments. The phenotypes range from completely bundled in neuronal axons to pan-cytoplasmic in astrocytes with different mesh size, primarily cortical in the eye lens fibre cells, polarized subapical in intestinal epithelial cells and a multitude of mixed arrangements. Functional studies are starting to reveal the importance of these arrangements for cell shape and mechanics, the organization of subcellular space, the maintenance of tissue integrity, metabolism and overall stress response. Perturbation of intermediate network architecture has therefore severe consequences on tissue homeostasis. The physiological and pathological 3D arrangement of intermediate filaments, however, remains poorly characterized in many instances.
We therefore seek contributions, which report on unravelling the organization of intermediate filaments at different spatial and temporal scales and couple these insights to functional properties. We encourage contributions on the elucidation of distinct patterns of intermediate filament arrangement in 3D, their topological linkage to other cellular components (e.g., other filament systems, organelles, cell-cell and cell-extracellular matrix contacts) and their changes during physiological and pathological processes. The description and classification of the resulting multidimensional and multimodal aspects of network dynamics pose formidable technical and conceptual challenges requiring the development of tools to analyse and correlate data sets for the generation of novel testable models of structure-function relationships.
Desired topics for contributions may deal with:
- the cell and tissue type-specific intermediate filament network architecture in 3D,
- the contribution of specific intermediate filament network architecture to facilitate and modulate cell function (e.g., contractility, secretion, migration, signal transduction, metabolism),
- the correlation of 3D intermediate filament network architecture and tissue function (e.g., barrier formation, mechanical resilience, coordinated neurotransmission, wound repair) and
- the consequences of perturbed intermediate filament network organization for pathogenesis.
Intermediate filaments are abundant components of the cytoskeleton with fundamental contributions to tissue morphogenesis and homeostasis. Recent advances in microscopy have provided astounding details on the tissue- and cell type-specific arrangement and adaptive plasticity of intermediate filaments. The phenotypes range from completely bundled in neuronal axons to pan-cytoplasmic in astrocytes with different mesh size, primarily cortical in the eye lens fibre cells, polarized subapical in intestinal epithelial cells and a multitude of mixed arrangements. Functional studies are starting to reveal the importance of these arrangements for cell shape and mechanics, the organization of subcellular space, the maintenance of tissue integrity, metabolism and overall stress response. Perturbation of intermediate network architecture has therefore severe consequences on tissue homeostasis. The physiological and pathological 3D arrangement of intermediate filaments, however, remains poorly characterized in many instances.
We therefore seek contributions, which report on unravelling the organization of intermediate filaments at different spatial and temporal scales and couple these insights to functional properties. We encourage contributions on the elucidation of distinct patterns of intermediate filament arrangement in 3D, their topological linkage to other cellular components (e.g., other filament systems, organelles, cell-cell and cell-extracellular matrix contacts) and their changes during physiological and pathological processes. The description and classification of the resulting multidimensional and multimodal aspects of network dynamics pose formidable technical and conceptual challenges requiring the development of tools to analyse and correlate data sets for the generation of novel testable models of structure-function relationships.
Desired topics for contributions may deal with:
- the cell and tissue type-specific intermediate filament network architecture in 3D,
- the contribution of specific intermediate filament network architecture to facilitate and modulate cell function (e.g., contractility, secretion, migration, signal transduction, metabolism),
- the correlation of 3D intermediate filament network architecture and tissue function (e.g., barrier formation, mechanical resilience, coordinated neurotransmission, wound repair) and
- the consequences of perturbed intermediate filament network organization for pathogenesis.
