Transforming growth factor beta controls the directional migration of hepatocyte cohorts by modulating their adhesion to fibronectin.

ABSTRACT: Transforming growth factor beta (TGF-beta) has a strong impact on liver development and physiopathology, exercised through its pleiotropic effects on growth, differentiation, survival, and migration. When exposed to TGF-beta, the mhAT3F cells, immortalized, highly differentiated hepatocytes, maintained their epithelial morphology and underwent dramatic alterations of adhesion, leading to partial or complete detachment from a culture plate, followed by readhesion and spreading. These alterations of adhesive behavior were caused by sequential changes in expression of the alpha5beta1 integrin and of its ligand, the fibronectin. The altered specificity of anchorage to the extracellular matrix gave rise to changes in cells' collective motility: cohorts adhering to fibronectin maintained a persi

SUBMITTER: Biname F 

PROVIDER: S-EPMC2262994 | biostudies-literature | 2008 Mar

REPOSITORIES: biostudies-literature