COMPARTIMENTAGE

G protein-coupled receptors (GPCRs) form a large class of membrane receptors mainly targeted by therapeutic agents. Recently, it has been demonstrated that these receptors are capable of inducing cascades of biochemical reactions from extremely dynamic pools of intracellular compartments. The subcellular trafficking of receptors thus generates a spatio-temporal heterogeneity of cell signaling, with a critical role on physiological functions, and profound consequences on the search for new therapeutic strategies.

In the COMPARTIMENTAGE project, we aim to develop new modeling formalism, combining biochemical reaction networks and coagulation-fragmentation dynamics to fully represent the diversity and complexity of signaling pathways. By comparing our models with data from confocal microscopy imaging with super spatio-temporal resolution, we wish to reveal how the spatio-temporal heterogeneity of intracellular compartments conditions the response of cells to extracellular signals.