Ultrafast cell switching for recording cell surface transitions: new insights into epidermal growth factor receptor signalling

Abstract

A pinched-flow deflection technology was developed for rapid single cell switching between biochemical microenvironments. Millisecond switching was used to stimulate and preserve epidermal growth factor receptor (EGFR) autophosphorylation transitions. Intramolecular phosphorylation initiates signal transduction, is silenced by phosphatase activity until EGFR dimerization enables intermolecular phosphorylation to initiate downstream signalling.