# Imaging the early events in membrane receptor signaling

> **NIH NIH R35** · UNIVERSITY OF NEW MEXICO HEALTH SCIS CTR · 2021 · $420,193

## Abstract

Project Summary
Understanding the molecular mechanisms that shape an effective cellular response is a
fundamental question in biology. While much is known about the chain of events initiated by
membrane receptor-ligand binding, there is a fundamental gap in our understanding of how
protein dynamics facilitate signaling. The long-term goal of my research program is to
understand how the dynamic and stochastic behavior of protein-protein interactions is integrated
to produce an efficient signaling response. The objective of this proposal is to quantify protein
dynamics during the early events of membrane-associated signaling. Our central hypothesis is
that the duration of protein-protein interactions modulates the signaling outcome. The rationale
for the proposed research is that in order to understand signal transduction, it is critical to
determine the sequence, lifetime and sub-cellular localization of biochemical events that initiate
signaling. We use unique and innovative imaging techniques to provide quantitative information
on the dynamics of early signaling events that cannot be obtained using traditional biochemical
(population-based) techniques. We will apply our unique tool box, including state-of-the-art
microscopy methods, biophysical and functional read-outs, in an integrated approach to provide
a comprehensive picture of how protein-protein dynamics regulate tyrosine kinase signaling
downstream of growth factor receptors and immunoreceptors. The proposed research is
significant because the quantitative information that we will obtain has not been directly
measured before and will bring new perspectives to cell biological processes, both in normal
and disease states. By connecting the activation state of cell surface receptors with their
dynamics, signaling partner interplay and downstream signaling events, we will are filling in
critical spatiotemporal gaps in our models of cell signaling.

## Key facts

- **NIH application ID:** 10247584
- **Project number:** 5R35GM126934-04
- **Recipient organization:** UNIVERSITY OF NEW MEXICO HEALTH SCIS CTR
- **Principal Investigator:** Diane Lidke
- **Activity code:** R35 (R01, R21, SBIR, etc.)
- **Funding institute:** NIH
- **Fiscal year:** 2021
- **Award amount:** $420,193
- **Award type:** 5
- **Project period:** 2018-09-18 → 2023-08-31

## Primary source

NIH RePORTER: https://reporter.nih.gov/project-details/10247584

## Citation

> US National Institutes of Health, RePORTER application 10247584, Imaging the early events in membrane receptor signaling (5R35GM126934-04). Retrieved via AI Analytics 2026-05-22 from https://api.ai-analytics.org/grant/nih/10247584. Licensed CC0.

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