Physical confinement alters tumor cell adhesion and migration phenotypes.

ABSTRACT: Cell migration on planar surfaces is driven by cycles of actin protrusion, integrin-mediated adhesion, and myosin-mediated contraction; however, this mechanism may not accurately describe movement in 3-dimensional (3D) space. By subjecting cells to restrictive 3D environments, we demonstrate that physical confinement constitutes a biophysical stimulus that alters cell morphology and suppresses mesenchymal motility in human breast carcinoma (MDA-MB-231). Dorsoventral polarity, stress fibers, and focal adhesions are markedly attenuated by confinement. Inhibitors of myosin, Rho/ROCK, or β1-integrins do not impair migration through 3-μm-wide channels (confinement), even though these treatments repress motility in 50-μm-wide channels (unconfined migration) by ≥50%. Strikingly, confined migratio

SUBMITTER: Balzer EM 

PROVIDER: S-EPMC3448771 | biostudies-literature | 2012 Oct

REPOSITORIES: biostudies-literature