A three-component mechanism for fibroblast migration with a contractile cell body that couples a myosin II-independent propulsive anterior to a myosin II-dependent resistive tail.

ABSTRACT: To understand the mechanism of cell migration, we cultured fibroblasts on micropatterned tracks to induce persistent migration with a highly elongated morphology and well-defined polarity, which allows microfluidic pharmacological manipulations of regional functions. The function of myosin II was probed by applying inhibitors either globally or locally. Of interest, although global inhibition of myosin II inhibited tail retraction and caused dramatic elongation of the posterior region, localized inhibition of the cell body inhibited nuclear translocation and caused elongation of the anterior region. In addition, local application of cytochalasin D at the tip inhibited frontal extension without inhibiting forward movement of the cell nucleus, whereas local treatment posterior to the nucleus

SUBMITTER: Guo WH 

PROVIDER: S-EPMC3338433 | biostudies-literature | 2012 May

REPOSITORIES: biostudies-literature