Fascin limits Myosin activity within Drosophila border cells to control substrate stiffness and promote migration.

ABSTRACT: A key regulator of collective cell migrations, which drive development and cancer metastasis, is substrate stiffness. Increased substrate stiffness promotes migration and is controlled by Myosin. Using Drosophila border cell migration as a model of collective cell migration, we identify, for the first time, that the actin bundling protein Fascin limits Myosin activity in vivo. Loss of Fascin results in: increased activated Myosin on the border cells and their substrate, the nurse cells; decreased border cell Myosin dynamics; and increased nurse cell stiffness as measured by atomic force microscopy. Reducing Myosin restores on-time border cell migration in fascin mutant follicles. Further, Fascin's actin bundling activity is required to limit Myosin activation. Surprisingly, w

SUBMITTER: Lamb MC 

PROVIDER: S-EPMC8547955 | biostudies-literature | 2021 Oct

REPOSITORIES: biostudies-literature