scholarly journals In vivo collective cell migration requires an LPAR2-dependent increase in tissue fluidity

2014 ◽  
Vol 206 (1) ◽  
pp. 113-127 ◽  
Author(s):  
Sei Kuriyama ◽  
Eric Theveneau ◽  
Alexandre Benedetto ◽  
Maddy Parsons ◽  
Masamitsu Tanaka ◽  
...  

Collective cell migration (CCM) and epithelial–mesenchymal transition (EMT) are common to cancer and morphogenesis, and are often considered to be mutually exclusive in spite of the fact that many cancer and embryonic cells that have gone through EMT still cooperate to migrate collectively. Here we use neural crest (NC) cells to address the question of how cells that have down-regulated cell–cell adhesions can migrate collectively. NC cell dissociation relies on a qualitative and quantitative change of the cadherin repertoire. We found that the level of cell–cell adhesion is precisely regulated by internalization of N-cadherin downstream of lysophosphatidic acid (LPA) receptor 2. Rather than promoting the generation of single, fully mesenchymal cells, this reduction of membrane N-cadherin only triggers a partial mesenchymal phenotype. This intermediate phenotype is characterized by an increase in tissue fluidity akin to a solid-like–to–fluid-like transition. This change of plasticity allows cells to migrate under physical constraints without abolishing cell cooperation required for collectiveness.

2018 ◽  
Vol 48 (5) ◽  
pp. 1928-1941 ◽  
Author(s):  
Chuan He ◽  
Zhigang Liu ◽  
Li Jin ◽  
Fang Zhang ◽  
Xinhao Peng ◽  
...  

Background/Aims: MicroRNA-142-3p (miR-142-3p) is dysregulated in many malignancies and may function as a tumor suppressor or oncogene in tumorigenesis and tumor development. However, few studies have investigated the clinical significance and biological function of miR-142-3p in hepatocellular carcinoma (HCC). Methods: The expression levels of taurine upregulated gene 1 (TUG1), miR-142-3p, and zinc finger E-box-binding homeobox 1 (ZEB1) were evaluated in HCC tissues and cell lines by quantitative real-time PCR. MTT and colony formation assays were used to detect cell proliferation ability, transwell assays were used to assess cell migration and invasion, and luciferase reporter assays were used to examine the interaction between the long noncoding RNA TUG1 and miR-142-3p. Tumor formation was evaluated through in vivo experiments. Results: miR-142-3p was significantly downregulated in HCC tissues, but TUG1 was upregulated in HCC tissues. Knockdown of TUG1 and upregulation of miR-142-3p inhibited cell proliferation, cell migration, cell invasion, and the epithelial-mesenchymal transition (EMT). miR-142-3p was found to be a prognostic factor of HCC, and the mechanism by which TUG1 upregulated ZEB1 was via direct binding to miR-142-3p. In vivo assays showed that TUG1 knockdown suppressed cell proliferation and the EMT in nude mice. Conclusion: The results of this study suggest that the TUG1/miR-142-3p/ ZEB1 axis contributes to the formation of malignant behaviors in HCC.


2015 ◽  
Vol 26 (25) ◽  
pp. 4577-4588 ◽  
Author(s):  
M. Hunter Lanier ◽  
Taekyung Kim ◽  
John A. Cooper

Cancer cell migration requires the regulation of actin networks at protrusions associated with invadopodia and other leading edges. Carcinomas become invasive after undergoing an epithelial–mesenchymal transition characterized by the appearance of vimentin filaments. While vimentin expression correlates with cell migration, the molecular connections between vimentin- and actin-based membrane protrusions are not understood. We report here that CARMIL2 (capping protein, Arp2/3, myosin-I linker 2) provides such a molecular link. CARMIL2 localizes to vimentin, regulates actin capping protein (CP), and binds to membranes. CARMIL2 is necessary for invadopodia formation, as well as cell polarity, lamellipodial assembly, membrane ruffling, macropinocytosis, and collective cell migration. Using point mutants and chimeras with defined biochemical and cellular properties, we discovered that localization to vimentin and CP binding are both essential for the function of CARMIL2 in cells. On the basis of these results, we propose a model in which dynamic vimentin filaments target CARMIL2 to critical membrane-associated locations, where CARMIL2 regulates CP, and thus actin assembly, to create cell protrusions.


2010 ◽  
Vol 21 (24) ◽  
pp. 4387-4399 ◽  
Author(s):  
Ester Martín-Villar ◽  
Beatriz Fernández-Muñoz ◽  
Maddy Parsons ◽  
Maria M. Yurrita ◽  
Diego Megías ◽  
...  

Podoplanin is a transmembrane glycoprotein up-regulated in different human tumors, especially those derived from squamous stratified epithelia (SCCs). Its expression in tumor cells is linked to increased cell migration and invasiveness; however, the mechanisms underlying this process remain poorly understood. Here we report that CD44, the major hyaluronan (HA) receptor, is a novel partner for podoplanin. Expression of the CD44 standard isoform (CD44s) is coordinately up-regulated together with that of podoplanin during progression to highly aggressive SCCs in a mouse skin model of carcinogenesis, and during epithelial-mesenchymal transition (EMT). In carcinoma cells, CD44 and podoplanin colocalize at cell surface protrusions. Moreover, CD44 recruitment promoted by HA-coated beads or cross-linking with a specific CD44 antibody induced corecruitment of podoplanin. Podoplanin–CD44s interaction was demonstrated both by coimmunoprecipitation experiments and, in vivo, by fluorescence resonance energy transfer/fluorescence lifetime imaging microscopy (FRET/FLIM), the later confirming its association on the plasma membrane of cells with a migratory phenotype. Importantly, we also show that podoplanin promotes directional persistence of motility in epithelial cells, a feature that requires CD44, and that both molecules cooperate to promote directional migration in SCC cells. Our results support a role for CD44-podoplanin interaction in driving tumor cell migration during malignancy.


Author(s):  
Kritika Saxena ◽  
Mohit Kumar Jolly ◽  
Kuppusamy Balamurugan

Epithelial-mesenchymal transition (EMT) is a cellular biological process involved in migration of primary cancer cells to secondary sites facilitating metastasis. Besides, EMT also confers properties such as stemness, drug resistance and immune evasion which can aid a successful colonization at the distant site. EMT is not a binary process; recent evidence suggests that cells in partial EMT or hybrid E/M phenotype(s) can have enhanced stemness and drug resistance as compared to those undergoing a complete EMT. Moreover, partial EMT enables collective migration of cells as clusters of circulating tumor cells or emboli, further endorsing that cells in hybrid E/M phenotypes may be the ‘fittest’ for metastasis. Here, we review mechanisms and implications of hybrid E/M phenotypes, including their reported association with hypoxia. Hypoxia-driven activation of HIF-1α can drive EMT. In addition, cyclic hypoxia, as compared to acute or chronic hypoxia, shows the highest levels of active HIF-1α and can augment cancer aggressiveness to a greater extent, including enriching for a partial EMT phenotype. We also discuss how metastasis is influenced by hypoxia, partial EMT and collective cell migration, and call for a better understanding of interconnections among these mechanisms. We discuss the known regulators of hypoxia, hybrid EMT and collective cell migration and highlight the gaps which needs to be filled for connecting these three axes which will increase our understanding of dynamics of metastasis and help control it more effectively.


2021 ◽  
Vol 5 (Supplement_2) ◽  
pp. 279-279
Author(s):  
Ana Carolina Silveira Rabelo ◽  
Shirley Arbizu ◽  
Maria Angelica Miglino ◽  
Susanne Talcott ◽  
Giuliana Noratto

Abstract Objectives To investigate the mechanisms underlying the breast cancer anti-invasive activity of DSC phenolics enriched in anthocyanins (ACN) in vitro and their potential in vivo. Methods 4T1 cells were treated with ACN extracted from DSC concentrate juice (FruitSmart, Grandview, WA) within dose range 20–80 µg cyanidin 3-glucoside equivalent (C3G)/mL to assess reactive oxygen species (ROS) levels using carboxy-H2DFFDA probe and cell viability using the resazurin kit (Sigma-Aldrich, St Louis, MO). Protein and mRNA expression were investigated using standard procedures and cell migration by wound healing assay. The pilot in vivo study was performed with 4T1 cells orthotopically injected into mammary fat pads of BALB/c mice (Envigo, Houston, TX, USA) (n = 4). After tumor growth, animals were gavaged with ACN (150 mg C3G/kg body weight/day, n = 2) or saline solution (control, n = 2) for one week followed by euthanasia and collection of tumors, lungs, and liver tissues for analyses. Results ACN induced ROS production (up to 5.13-fold of control) and inhibited cell viability by 50% (IC50) at 58.6 µg C3G/mL. The ACN (IC50 dose) treatment downregulated phospho-ERK1/2 and upregulated phospho-p38 proteins, linked to cell growth inhibition and caspase-dependent apoptosis mediated by the increase in cleaved/total caspase-3 protein ratio (∼3-fold of control) and suppression of total PARP (∼0.4-fold of control). ACN also suppressed the Akt/mTOR/CREB pathway that promotes proliferation and invasion. 4T1 cell migration was inhibited by 22%, consistent with the phospho-Src downregulation (down to ∼ 0.25-fold of control), that regulate epithelial-mesenchymal transition. Phospho-ERK1/2 and phospho-CREB were downregulated in mice tumors. This was accompanied by the downregulation of Cenpf mRNA in liver and lungs, which correlates with poor prognosis and metastasis, thus supporting the in vitro findings. Conclusions ACN provides a dietary alternative to fight human breast cancer invasion by incorporating DSC into the diet. More studies are guarantee to help improve the quality of life of breast cancer patients. Funding Sources This work was supported by the Northwest Cherry Growers. The authors thank the support of Coordenação de Aperfeiçoamento de Pessoal de Nível Superior (CAPES) Brazil for providing Ana Carolina Silveira Rabelo the scholarship.


Cancers ◽  
2020 ◽  
Vol 12 (12) ◽  
pp. 3708
Author(s):  
Inés Sáenz-de-Santa-María ◽  
Lucía Celada ◽  
Andrés San José Martínez ◽  
Tamara Cubiella ◽  
María-Dolores Chiara

Metastasis remains a clinically unsolved issue in cancer that is initiated by the acquisition of collective migratory properties of cancer cells. Phenotypic and functional heterogeneity that arise among cancer cells within the same tumor increase cellular plasticity and promote metastasis, however, their impact on collective cell migration is incompletely understood. Here, we show that in vitro collective cancer cell migration depends on FAK and MMP-2 and on the presence of cancer-associated fibroblasts (CAFs). The absence of functional FAK rendered cancer cells incapable of invading the surrounding stroma. However, CAFs and cancer cells over-expressing MMP-2 released FAK-deficient cells from this constraint by taking the leader positions in the invasive tracks, pushing FAK-deficient squamous cell carcinoma (SCC) cells towards the stroma and leading to the transformation of non-invasive cells into invasive cells. Our cell-based studies and the RNAseq data from the TCGA cohort of patients with head and neck squamous cell carcinomas reveal that, although both FAK and MMP-2 over-expression are associated with epithelial–mesenchymal transition, it is only MMP-2, not FAK, that functions as an independent prognostic factor. Given the significant role of MMP-2 in cancer dissemination, targeting of this molecule, better than FAK, presents a more promising opportunity to block metastasis.


2012 ◽  
Vol 109 (38) ◽  
pp. 15312-15317 ◽  
Author(s):  
Paola Tucci ◽  
Massimiliano Agostini ◽  
Francesca Grespi ◽  
Elke K. Markert ◽  
Alessandro Terrinoni ◽  
...  

p63 inhibits metastasis. Here, we show that p63 (both TAp63 and ΔNp63 isoforms) regulates expression of miR-205 in prostate cancer (PCa) cells, and miR-205 is essential for the inhibitory effects of p63 on markers of epithelial–mesenchymal transition (EMT), such as ZEB1 and vimentin. Correspondingly, the inhibitory effect of p63 on EMT markers and cell migration is reverted by anti–miR-205. p53 mutants inhibit expression of both p63 and miR-205, and the cell migration, in a cell line expressing endogenous mutated p53, can be abrogated by pre–miR-205 or silencing of mutated p53. In accordance with this in vitro data, ΔNp63 or miR-205 significantly inhibits the incidence of lung metastasis in vivo in a mouse tail vein model. Similarly, one or both components of the p63/miR-205 axis were absent in metastases or colonized lymph nodes in a set of 218 human prostate cancer samples. This was confirmed in an independent clinical data set of 281 patients. Loss of this axis was associated with higher Gleason scores, an increased likelihood of metastatic and infiltration events, and worse prognosis. These data suggest that p63/miR-205 may be a useful clinical predictor of metastatic behavior in prostate cancer.


2021 ◽  
Vol 8 (5) ◽  
pp. 65
Author(s):  
Song-Yi Park ◽  
Hwanseok Jang ◽  
Seon-Young Kim ◽  
Dasarang Kim ◽  
Yongdoo Park ◽  
...  

Collective cell migration of epithelial tumor cells is one of the important factors for elucidating cancer metastasis and developing novel drugs for cancer treatment. Especially, new roles of E-cadherin in cancer migration and metastasis, beyond the epithelial–mesenchymal transition, have recently been unveiled. Here, we quantitatively examined cell motility using micropatterned free edge migration model with E-cadherin re-expressing EC96 cells derived from adenocarcinoma gastric (AGS) cell line. EC96 cells showed increased migration features such as the expansion of cell islands and straightforward movement compared to AGS cells. The function of tight junction proteins known to E-cadherin expression were evaluated for cell migration by knockdown using sh-RNA. Cell migration and straight movement of EC96 cells were reduced by knockdown of ZO-1 and claudin-7, to a lesser degree. Analysis of the migratory activity of boundary cells and inner cells shows that EC96 cell migration was primarily conducted by boundary cells, similar to leader cells in collective migration. Immunofluorescence analysis showed that tight junctions (TJs) of EC96 cells might play important roles in intracellular communication among boundary cells. ZO-1 is localized to the base of protruding lamellipodia and cell contact sites at the rear of cells, indicating that ZO-1 might be important for the interaction between traction and tensile forces. Overall, dynamic regulation of E-cadherin expression and localization by interaction with ZO-1 protein is one of the targets for elucidating the mechanism of collective migration of cancer metastasis.


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