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Cell migration in invertebrates: clues from border and distal tip cells
1Developmental Genetics Program, Skirball Institute and Howard Hughes Medical Institute, Department of Cell Biology, New York University Medical School, 540 First Avenue, New York 10016, New York, USA. lehmann@saturn.med.nyu.edu
Current Opinion in Genetics & Development
|July 13, 2001
Summary
Directed cell migration in invertebrates is guided by extracellular signals and involves metalloproteases altering the extracellular matrix. Key proteins like Dock180, CrkII, and Rac link these signals to cell motility machinery.
Area of Science:
- Developmental Biology
- Cell Biology
- Molecular Biology
Background:
- Directed cell migration is crucial for development and tissue repair.
- Invertebrate models like Drosophila border cells and C. elegans distal tip cells offer insights into cell migration mechanisms.
- Extracellular signals and matrix remodeling play key roles in guiding cell movement.
Purpose of the Study:
- To elucidate the molecular mechanisms underlying directed cell migration in invertebrate models.
- To identify the key signaling pathways and protein interactions involved in cell guidance.
- To understand how extracellular cues are translated into cellular motility.
Main Methods:
- Comparative analysis of cell migration in Drosophila melanogaster (border cells) and Caenorhabditis elegans (distal tip cells).
- Investigation of extracellular signaling molecules including Epidermal Growth Factor (EGF), Transforming Growth Factor-beta (TGF-beta), and netrin.
- Analysis of the role of metalloproteases in modifying the extracellular matrix.
- Examination of receptor signaling pathway alterations during migration.
- Identification of protein complexes, such as Dock180, CrkII, and GTPase Rac, involved in signal transduction.
Main Results:
- Extracellular signals like EGF, TGF-beta, and netrin act as guidance cues for migrating cells.
- Metalloproteases contribute to the dynamic remodeling of the extracellular matrix, facilitating cell movement.
- Migrating cells exhibit adaptive responses by modulating receptor signaling pathways in response to guidance cues.
- The Dock180, CrkII, and Rac protein complex serves as a critical link between extracellular signals and the intracellular machinery controlling cell motility.
Conclusions:
- Directed cell migration is a complex process involving intricate crosstalk between extracellular cues and intracellular signaling.
- Invertebrate models provide powerful systems for dissecting the fundamental mechanisms of cell migration.
- Understanding these pathways can inform research in developmental biology and disease.