How and Why Women Participate in Armed Conflict: A Population-Level Quantitative Model

Listeria monocytogenes hijacks host actin to promote its intracellular motility and intercellular spread. While L. monocytogenes virulence hinges on cell-to-cell spread, little is known about the dynamics of bacterial spread in epithelia at a population level. Here, we use live microscopy and statistical modeling to demonstrate that L. monocytogenes cell-to-cell spread proceeds anisotropically in an epithelial monolayer in culture. We show that boundaries of infection foci are irregular and dominated by rare pioneer bacteria that spread farther than the rest. We extend our quantitative model for bacterial spread to show that heterogeneous spreading behavior can improve the chances of creating a persistent L. monocytogenes infection in an actively extruding epithelium. Thus, our results indicate that L. monocytogenes cell-to-cell spread is heterogeneous, and that rare pioneer bacteria determine the frontier of infection foci and may promote bacterial infection persistence in dynamic epithelia.Editorial note: This article has been through an editorial process in which the authors decide how to respond to the issues raised during peer review. The Reviewing Editor's assessment is that all the issues have been addressed (<xref ref-type="decision-letter" rid="SA1">see decision letter</xref>).

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Listeria monocytogenescell-to-cell spread in epithelia is heterogeneous and dominated by rare pioneer bacteria

10.1101/367797 ◽

2018 ◽

Author(s):

Fabian E. Ortega ◽

Elena F. Koslover ◽

Julie A. Theriot

Keyword(s):

Bacterial Infection ◽

Statistical Modeling ◽

Population Level ◽

Quantitative Model ◽

Epithelial Monolayer ◽

Spreading Behavior ◽

Intercellular Spread ◽

Cell Spread ◽

Intracellular Motility

ABSTRACTL. monocytogeneshijacks host actin to promote its intracellular motility and intercellular spread. WhileL. monocytogenesvirulence hinges on cell-to-cell spread, little is known about the dynamics of bacterial spread in epithelia at a population level. Here, we use live microscopy and statistical modeling to demonstrate thatL. monocytogenescell-to-cell spread proceeds anisotropically in an epithelial monolayer in culture. We show that boundaries of infection foci are irregular and dominated by rare pioneer bacteria that spread farther than the rest. We extend our quantitative model for bacterial spread to show that heterogeneous spreading behavior can improve the chances of creating a persistentL. monocytogenesinfection in an actively extruding epithelium. Thus, our results indicate thatL. monocytogenescell-to-cell spread is heterogeneous, and that rare pioneer bacteria determine the frontier of infection foci and may promote bacterial infection persistence in dynamic epithelia.

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Quantitative Model-Based Image Analysis of NuMa Distribution Links Nuclear Organization with Cell Phenotype

Microscopy and Microanalysis ◽

10.1017/s1431927600028968 ◽

2001 ◽

Vol 7 (S2) ◽

pp. 578-579

Author(s):

David W. Knowles ◽

Sophie A. Lelièvre ◽

Carlos Ortiz de Solόrzano ◽

Stephen J. Lockett ◽

Mina J. Bissell ◽

...

Keyword(s):

Image Analysis ◽

Mammary Epithelial Cells ◽

Nuclear Organization ◽

Critical Role ◽

Quantitative Model ◽

Mammary Epithelial ◽

Cell Phenotype ◽

Proliferating Cells ◽

Mitotic Apparatus ◽

Model Based

The extracellular matrix (ECM) plays a critical role in directing cell behaviour and morphogenesis by regulating gene expression and nuclear organization. Using non-malignant (S1) human mammary epithelial cells (HMECs), it was previously shown that ECM-induced morphogenesis is accompanied by the redistribution of nuclear mitotic apparatus (NuMA) protein from a diffuse pattern in proliferating cells, to a multi-focal pattern as HMECs growth arrested and completed morphogenesis . A process taking 10 to 14 days.To further investigate the link between NuMA distribution and the growth stage of HMECs, we have investigated the distribution of NuMA in non-malignant S1 cells and their malignant, T4, counter-part using a novel model-based image analysis technique. This technique, based on a multi-scale Gaussian blur analysis (Figure 1), quantifies the size of punctate features in an image. Cells were cultured in the presence and absence of a reconstituted basement membrane (rBM) and imaged in 3D using confocal microscopy, for fluorescently labeled monoclonal antibodies to NuMA (fαNuMA) and fluorescently labeled total DNA.

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