scholarly journals Tracking of Endothelial Cell Migration and Stiffness Measurements Reveal the Role of Cytoskeletal Dynamics

2022 ◽  
Vol 23 (1) ◽  
pp. 568
Author(s):  
Dominick J. Romano ◽  
Jesus M. Gomez-Salinero ◽  
Zoran Šunić ◽  
Antonio Checco ◽  
Sina Y. Rabbany

Cell migration is a complex, tightly regulated multistep process in which cytoskeletal reorganization and focal adhesion redistribution play a central role. Core to both individual and collective migration is the persistent random walk, which is characterized by random force generation and resistance to directional change. We first discuss a model that describes the stochastic movement of ECs and characterizes EC persistence in wound healing. To that end, we pharmacologically disrupted cytoskeletal dynamics, cytochalasin D for actin and nocodazole for tubulin, to understand its contributions to cell morphology, stiffness, and motility. As such, the use of Atomic Force Microscopy (AFM) enabled us to probe the topography and stiffness of ECs, while time lapse microscopy provided observations in wound healing models. Our results suggest that actin and tubulin dynamics contribute to EC shape, compressive moduli, and directional organization in collective migration. Insights from the model and time lapse experiment suggest that EC speed and persistence are directionally organized in wound healing. Pharmacological disruptions suggest that actin and tubulin dynamics play a role in collective migration. Current insights from both the model and experiment represent an important step in understanding the biomechanics of EC migration as a therapeutic target.

2021 ◽  
Vol 17 (6) ◽  
pp. 1079-1087
Author(s):  
Zaozao Chen ◽  
Qiwei Li ◽  
Shihui Xu ◽  
Jun Ouyang ◽  
Hongmei Wei

Matrix nanotopography plays an essential role in regulating cell behaviors including cell proliferation, differentiation, and migration. While studies on isolated single cell migration along the nanostructural orientation have been reported for various cell types, there remains a lack of understanding of how nanotopography regulates the behavior of collectively migrating cells during processes such as epithelial wound healing. We demonstrated that collective migration of epithelial cells was promoted on nanogratings perpendicular to, but not on those parallel to, the wound-healing axis. We further discovered that nanograting-modulated epithelial migration was dominated by the adhesion turnover process, which was Rho-associated protein kinase activity-dependent, and the lamellipodia protrusion at the cell leading edge, which was Rac1-GTPase activity-dependent. This work provides explanations to the distinct migration behavior of epithelial cells on nanogratings, and indicates that the effect of nanotopographic modulations on cell migration is cell-type dependent and involves complex mechanisms


Nutrients ◽  
2019 ◽  
Vol 11 (5) ◽  
pp. 1075 ◽  
Author(s):  
Panagiotis Tsakiroglou ◽  
Natalie E. VandenAkker ◽  
Cristian Del Bo’ ◽  
Patrizia Riso ◽  
Dorothy Klimis-Zacas

Cell migration is a critical process that is highly involved with normal and pathological conditions such as angiogenesis and wound healing. Important members of the RHO GTPase family are capable of controlling cytoskeleton conformation and altering motility characteristics of cells. There is a well-known relationship between small GTPases and the PI3K/AKT pathway. Endothelial cell migration can lead to angiogenesis, which is highly linked to wound healing processes. Phenolics, flavonoids, and anthocyanins are major groups of phytochemicals and are abundant in many natural products. Their antioxidant, antimicrobial, anti-inflammatory, antidiabetic, angiogenenic, neuroprotective, hepatoprotective, and cardioprotective properties have been extensively documented. This comprehensive review focuses on the in vitro and in vivo role of berry extracts and single anthocyanin and phenolic acid compounds on cell migration and angiogenesis. We aim to summarize the most recent published studies focusing on the experimental model, type of berry extract, source, dose/concentration and overall effect(s) of berry extracts, anthocyanins, and phenolic acids on the above processes.


2019 ◽  
Vol 317 (2) ◽  
pp. C270-C276 ◽  
Author(s):  
Jessica Morand ◽  
Anne Briançon-Marjollet ◽  
Emeline Lemarie ◽  
Brigitte Gonthier ◽  
Josiane Arnaud ◽  
...  

Zinc is involved in the expression and function of various transcription factors, including the hypoxia-inducible factor-1 (HIF-1). HIF-1 and its target gene endothelin-1 (ET-1) are activated by intermittent hypoxia (IH), one of the main consequences of obstructive sleep apnea (OSA), and both play a key role in the cardiovascular consequences of IH. Because OSA and IH are associated with zinc deficiency, we investigated the effect of zinc deficiency caused by chelation on the HIF-1/ET-1 pathway and its functional consequences in endothelial cells. Primary human microvascular endothelial cells (HMVEC) were incubated with submicromolar doses of the zinc-specific membrane-permeable chelator N, N, N′, N′-tetrakis(2-pyridylmethyl)-ethylene diamine (TPEN, 0.5 µM) or ET-1 (0.01 µM) with or without bosentan, a dual ET-1-receptor antagonist. HIF-1α expression was silenced by transfection with specific siRNA. Nuclear HIF-1 content was assessed by immunofluorescence microscopy and Western blot. Migratory capacity of HMVEC was evaluated with a wound-healing scratch assay. Zinc chelation by TPEN exposure induced the translocation of the cytosolic HIF-1α subunit of HIF-1 to the nucleus as well as an HIF-1-mediated ET-1 secretion by HMVEC. Incubation with either TPEN or ET-1 increased endothelial wound-healing capacity. Both HIF-1α silencing or bosentan abolished this effect. Altogether, these results suggest that zinc deficiency upregulates ET-1 signaling through HIF-1 activation and stimulates endothelial cell migration, suggesting an important role of zinc in the vascular consequences of IH and OSA mediated by HIF-1-ET- signaling.


Author(s):  
Puja Sharma ◽  
Kevin Sheets ◽  
Amrinder S. Nain

Cell migration is a tightly regulated phenomenon necessary for regular physiologic processes such as wound healing, immune response, embryonic development, growth, and regeneration [1–3]. Consequences of abnormal migratory behaviors include autoimmune diseases and metastasis during cancer progression [4, 5]. Described as one of the hallmarks of cancer, metastasis is a complex multistep process, and is responsible for 90% of cancer deaths in humans. A better understanding of the process of metastasis is of paramount importance in developing efficient cancer treatment therapies and drugs [6].


Biomedicines ◽  
2021 ◽  
Vol 9 (12) ◽  
pp. 1925
Author(s):  
Laura T. Fee ◽  
Debananda Gogoi ◽  
Michael E. O’Brien ◽  
Emer McHugh ◽  
Michelle Casey ◽  
...  

Alpha-1 antitrypsin (AAT) deficiency (AATD) is characterized by increased risk for emphysema, chronic obstructive pulmonary disease (COPD), vasculitis, and wound-healing impairment. Neutrophils play a central role in the pathogenesis of AATD. Dysregulated complement activation in AATD results in increased plasma levels of C3d. The current study investigated the impact of C3d on circulating neutrophils. Blood was collected from AATD (n = 88) or non-AATD COPD patients (n = 10) and healthy controls (HC) (n = 40). Neutrophils were challenged with C3d, and degranulation was assessed by Western blotting, ELISA, or fluorescence resonance energy transfer (FRET) substrate assays. Ex vivo, C3d levels were increased in plasma (p < 0.0001) and on neutrophil plasma membranes (p = 0.038) in AATD compared to HC. C3d binding to CR3 receptors triggered primary (p = 0.01), secondary (p = 0.004), and tertiary (p = 0.018) granule release and increased CXCL8 secretion (p = 0.02). Ex vivo plasma levels of bactericidal-permeability-increasing-protein (p = 0.02), myeloperoxidase (p < 0.0001), and lactoferrin (p < 0.0001) were significantly increased in AATD patients. In endothelial cell scratch wound assays, C3d significantly decreased cell migration (p < 0.0001), an effect potentiated by neutrophil degranulated proteins (p < 0.0001). In summary, AATD patients had increased C3d in plasma and on neutrophil membranes and, together with neutrophil-released granule enzymes, reduced endothelial cell migration and wound healing, with potential implications for AATD-related vasculitis.


2010 ◽  
Vol 298 (2) ◽  
pp. H719-H725 ◽  
Author(s):  
Andries D. van der Meer ◽  
Kim Vermeul ◽  
André A. Poot ◽  
Jan Feijen ◽  
István Vermes

Endothelial migration is an important process in the formation of blood vessels and the repair of damaged tissue. To study this process in the laboratory, versatile and reliable migration assays are essential. The purpose of this study was to investigate whether the microfluidic version of the conventional wound-healing assay is a useful research tool for vascular science. Endothelial cells were seeded in a 500-μm-wide microfluidic channel. After overnight incubation, cells had formed a viable and confluent monolayer. Then, a wound was generated in this monolayer by flushing the channel with three parallel fluid streams, of which the middle one contained the protease trypsin. By analyzing the closing of the wound over time, endothelial cell migration could be measured. Although the migration rate was two times lower in the microfluidic assay than in the conventional assay, an identical 1.5-times increase in migration rate was found in both assays when vascular endothelial growth factor (VEGF165) was added. In the microfluidic wound-healing assay, a stable gradient of VEGF165 could be generated at the wound edge. This led to a two-times increase in migration rate compared with the untreated control. Finally, when a shear stress of 1.3 Pa was applied to the wound, the migration rate increased 1.8 times. In conclusion, the microfluidic assay is a solid alternative for the conventional wound-healing assay when endothelial cell migration is measured. Moreover, it offers unique advantages, such as gradient generation and application of shear stress.


Blood ◽  
2005 ◽  
Vol 106 (11) ◽  
pp. 3971-3971
Author(s):  
Solomon F. Ofori-Acquah

Abstract Migration of endothelial cells as a sheet in fully differentiated blood vessels is essential for reducing vascular permeability during wound healing. Indeed, loss of collective endothelial sheet migration contributes to increased vascular permeability in tumor angiogenesis and several vascular proliferative disorders. Despite this significance, mechanisms responsible for keeping migrating endothelial cells in a monolayer, sheet or tube are poorly understood. To unravel the basis for collective endothelial cell migration, we used time-lapse video microscopy to study early events of wound closure in confluent monolayers of primary microvascular endothelial cells in a live cell chamber. Immediately after wounding (0– 20 min), endothelial cells at the margin of the wound (marginal cells) retracted away from the wounded area and showed no visible lamellipodia extensions. The next phase of early wound healing (20 min – 6 hours) revealed extensive lamellipodia formation and migration of marginal cells into the wounded region. Remarkably, sub-marginal endothelial cells that were several microns away from the wound edge protruded lamellipodia that formed dynamic cell-cell contacts with the substratum of marginal cells at the wound edge. In several instances sub-marginal cells physically and coordinately pulled back endothelial cells at wound edge to maintain regularity of the endothelial sheet front. Cell-tracking measurements revealed autonomous and yet coordinated migration of marginal and sub-marginal endothelial cells culminating in net protrusion of the endothelial sheet into the wound. This study provides in real-time evidence of retraction of endothelial cells at the wound edge by several microns prior to the initiation of forward migration. In addition, we show for the first time that endothelial cells several microns away from the wound edge actively participate in sheet migration through the extention of lamellipodia into the substratum of cells at the wound edge. These findings highlight an important role in endothelial sheet migration for the Rho family of GTPases given their intimate control of cell retraction and lamelipodia extensions. Future studies will directly evaluate the influence of Rac, Cdc42 and RhoA in retraction of marginal cells and formation of lamellipodia by sub-marginal cells in endothelial sheet migration.


2014 ◽  
Vol 112 (12) ◽  
pp. 1244-1251 ◽  
Author(s):  
Sergiy Yakovlev ◽  
Irina Mikhailenko ◽  
Galina Tsurupa ◽  
Alexey Belkin ◽  
Leonid Medved

SummaryUpon conversion of fibrinogen into fibrin, fibrinogen αC-domains containing the RGD recognition motif form ordered αC polymers. Our previous study revealed that polymerisation of these domains promotes integrin-dependent adhesion and spreading of endothelial cells, as well as integrin-mediated activation of the FAK and ERK1/2 signalling pathways. The major goal of this study was to test the impact of αC-domain polymerisation on endothelial cell migration and proliferation during wound healing, and to clarify the mechanism underlying superior activity of αC polymers toward endothelial cells. In an in vitro wound healing assay, confluent endothelial cell monolayers on tissue culture plates coated with the αC monomer or αC polymers were wounded by scratching and wound closure was monitored by timelapse videomicroscopy. Although the plates were coated with equal amounts of αC species, as confirmed by ELISA, wound closure by the cells occurred much faster on αC polymers, indicating that αC-domain polymerisation promotes cell migration and proliferation. In agreement, endothelial cell proliferation was also more efficient on αC polymers, as revealed by cell proliferation assay. Wound closure on both types of substrates was equally inhibited by the integrin-blocking GRGDSP peptide and a specific antagonist of the ERK1/2 signalling pathway. In contrast, blocking the FAK signaling pathway by a specific antagonist decreased wound closure only on αC polymers. These results indicate that polymerisation of the αC-domains enhances integrin-dependent endothelial cell migration and proliferation mainly through the FAK signalling pathway. Furthermore, clustering of integrin-binding RGD motifs in αC polymers is the major mechanism triggering these events.


2000 ◽  
Vol 278 (3) ◽  
pp. C612-C618 ◽  
Author(s):  
Hsinyu Lee ◽  
Edward J. Goetzl ◽  
Songzhu An

Lysophosphatidic acid (LPA) and sphingosine 1-phosphate (S1P) are potent lipid growth factors with similar abilities to stimulate cytoskeleton-based cellular functions. Their effects are mediated by a subfamily of G protein-coupled receptors (GPCRs) encoded by endothelial differentiation genes ( edgs). We hypothesize that large quantities of LPA and S1P generated by activated platelets may influence endothelial cell functions. Using an in vitro wound healing assay, we observed that LPA and S1P stimulated closure of wounded monolayers of human umbilical vein endothelial cells and adult bovine aortic endothelial cells, which express LPA receptor Edg2, and S1P receptors Edg1 and Edg3. The two major components of wound healing, cell migration and proliferation, were stimulated individually by both lipids. LPA and S1P also stimulated intracellular Ca2+mobilization and mitogen-activated protein kinase (MAPK) phosphorylation. Pertussis toxin partially blocked the effects of both lipids on endothelial cell migration, MAPK phosphorylation, and Ca2+ mobilization, implicating Gi/o-coupled Edg receptor signaling in endothelial cells. LPA and S1P did not cross-desensitize each other in Ca2+ responses, suggesting involvement of distinct receptors. Thus LPA and S1P affect endothelial cell functions through signaling pathways activated by distinct GPCRs and may contribute to the healing of wounded vasculatures.


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