Anne Pierrette Burtey

• Schölermann, Julia; Burtey, Anne Pierrette; Allouni, Zouhir Ekeland; Gerdes, Hans-Hermann & Cimpan, Mihaela Roxana (2016). Contact-dependent transfer of TiO2 nanoparticles between mammalian cells. Nanotoxicology. ISSN 1743-5390. 10(2), p. 204–215. doi: 10.3109/17435390.2015.1048322. Full text in Research Archive
• Frei, Dominik Michael; Hodneland, Erlend; Mondragon, Ivan Rios; Burtey, Anne Pierrette; Neumann, B & Bulkescher, Jutta [Show all 10 contributors for this article] (2015). Novel microscopy-based screening method reveals regulators of contact-dependent intercellular transfer. Scientific Reports. 5:12879. doi: 10.1038/srep12879. Full text in Research Archive Show summary

  Contact-dependent intercellular transfer (codeIT) of cellular constituents can have functional consequences for recipient cells, such as enhanced survival and drug resistance. Pathogenic viruses, prions and bacteria can also utilize this mechanism to spread to adjacent cells and potentially evade immune detection. However, little is known about the molecular mechanism underlying this intercellular transfer process. Here, we present a novel microscopy-based screening method to identify regulators and cargo of codeIT. Single donor cells, carrying fluorescently labelled endocytic organelles or proteins, are co-cultured with excess acceptor cells. CodeIT is quantified by confocal microscopy and image analysis in 3D, preserving spatial information. An siRNA-based screening using this method revealed the involvement of several myosins and small GTPases as codeIT regulators. Our data indicates that cellular protrusions and tubular recycling endosomes are important for codeIT. We automated image acquisition and analysis to facilitate large-scale chemical and genetic screening efforts to identify key regulators of codeIT.

• Burtey, Anne Pierrette; Wagner, Marek; Hodneland, Erlend; Skaftnesmo, Kai Ove; Schölermann, Julia & Mondragon, Ivan Rios [Show all 12 contributors for this article] (2015). Intercellular transfer of transferrin receptor by a contact-, Rab8-dependent mechanism involving tunneling nanotubes. The FASEB Journal. ISSN 0892-6638. 29(11), p. 4695–4712. doi: 10.1096/fj.14-268615. Full text in Research Archive Show summary

  Intercellular communication between cancer cells, especially between cancer and stromal cells, plays an important role in disease progression. We examined the intercellular transfer of organelles and proteins in vitro and in vivo and the role of tunneling nanotubes (TNTs) in this process. TNTs are membrane bridges that facilitate intercellular transfer of organelles of unclear origin. Using 3-dimensional quantitative and qualitative confocal microscopy, we showed that TNTs contain green fluorescent protein (GFP)-early endosome antigen (EEA) 1, GFP Rab5, GFP Rab11, GFP Rab8, transferrin (Tf), and Tf receptor (Tf-R) fused to mCherry (Tf-RmCherry). Tf-RmCherry was transferred between cancer cells by a contact-dependent but secretion-independent mechanism. Live cell imaging showed TNT formation preceding the transfer of Tf-RmCherry and involving the function of the small guanosine triphosphatase (GTPase) Rab8, which colocalized with Tf-RmCherry in the TNTs and was cotransferred to acceptor cells. Tf-RmCherry was transferred from cancer cells to fibroblasts, a noteworthy finding that suggests that this process occurs between tumor and stromal cells in vivo. We strengthened this hypothesis in a xenograft model of breast cancer using enhanced (e)GFP-expressing mice. Tf-RmCherry transferred from tumor to stromal cells and this process correlated with an increased opposite transfer of eGFP from stromal to tumor cells, together pointing toward complex intercellular communication at the tumor site.

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• Ostermann, Melanie; Schoelermann, Julia; Xue, Ying; Burtey, Anne Pierrette; Gjerdet, Nils Roar & Sauter, Alexander [Show all 7 contributors for this article] (2016). Cytotoxicity of engineered nanomaterials assessed by impedance-based monitoring. Full text in Research Archive
• Sauter, Alexander; Ostermann, Melanie; Schoelermann, Julia; Xue, Ying; Burtey, Anne Pierrette & Cimpan, Emil [Show all 7 contributors for this article] (2016). High throughput nanoTOX screening using impedance: A data analysis example. Full text in Research Archive
• Kögel, Tanja; Hodneland, Erlend; Gerdes, Hans-Hermann; Frei, Dominik Michael & Burtey, Anne Pierrette (2015). QUANTITATIVE ANALYSIS OF CONTACTDEPENDENT CELL-TO-CELL TRANSFER AND DISEASE TRANSMISSION. United States and European Patent Application Publication BTO. Full text in Research Archive Show summary

  A method for a microscope-based quantitative analysis of contact-dependent cell-to-cell transfer between cells. Single donor cells containing a traceable marker are cultured in a lawn of acceptor cells to allow cell-to-cell transfers. The donor and acceptor cells are then imaged and/or stained for microscopy to determine the location, shape and volumes of donor cells and of surrounding acceptor cells within selected regions of interest. The spatial distribution of the traceable marker in each volumetric picture element of the region of interest is determined and analyzed to determine quantitatively and qualitatively the substance transfer. The method allows a reliable quantitative evaluation of the effect of an active agent on cell-to-cell molecular communication and disease transmission.

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