Mapping the dynamics of force transduction at cell-cell junctions of epithelial clusters.

ABSTRACT: Force transduction at cell–cell adhesions regulates tissue development, maintenance and adaptation. We developed computational and experimental approaches to quantify, with both sub-cellular and multi-cellular resolution, the dynamics of force transmission in cell clusters. Applying this technology to spontaneously-forming adherent epithelial cell clusters, we found that basal force fluctuations were coupled to E-cadherin localization at the level of individual cell–cell junctions. At the multi-cellular scale, cell–cell force exchange depended on the cell position within a cluster, and was adaptive to reconfigurations due to cell divisions or positional rearrangements. Importantly, force transmission through a cell required coordinated modulation of cell-matrix adhesion and actomyosin cont

SUBMITTER: Ng MR 

PROVIDER: S-EPMC4300730 | biostudies-literature | 2014 Dec

REPOSITORIES: biostudies-literature