A steering model of endothelial sheet migration recapitulates monolayer integrity and directed collective migration.

ABSTRACT: Cells in endothelial cell monolayers maintain a tight barrier between blood and tissue, but it is not well understood how endothelial cells move within monolayers, pass each other, migrate when stimulated with growth factor, and also retain monolayer integrity. Here, we develop a quantitative steering model based on functional classes of genes identified previously in a small interfering RNA (siRNA) screen to explain how cells locally coordinate their movement to maintain monolayer integrity and collectively migrate in response to growth factor. In the model, cells autonomously migrate within the monolayer and turn in response to mechanical cues resulting from adhesive, drag, repulsive, and directed steering interactions with neighboring cells. We show that lateral-drag steering explains t

SUBMITTER: Vitorino P 

PROVIDER: S-EPMC3019974 | biostudies-literature | 2011 Jan

REPOSITORIES: biostudies-literature