Actin cytoskeleton regulates functional anchorage-migration switch during T-cadherin-induced phenotype modulation of vascular smooth muscle cells.

ABSTRACT: Vascular smooth muscle cell (SMC) switching between differentiated and dedifferentiated phenotypes is reversible and accompanied by morphological and functional alterations that require reconfiguration of cell-cell and cell-matrix adhesion networks. Studies attempting to explore changes in overall composition of the adhesion nexus during SMC phenotype transition are lacking. We have previously demonstrated that T-cadherin knockdown enforces SMC differentiation, whereas T-cadherin upregulation promotes SMC dedifferentiation. This study used human aortic SMCs ectopically modified with respect to T-cadherin expression to characterize phenotype-associated cell-matrix adhesion molecule expression, focal adhesions configuration and migration modes. Compared with dedifferentiated/migratory SMCs (

SUBMITTER: Frismantiene A 

PROVIDER: S-EPMC5810755 | biostudies-literature | 2018 Jan

REPOSITORIES: biostudies-literature