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Invasive epithelial cells show more fast plasma membrane movements than related or parental non-invasive cells
N A van Larebeke1, M E Bracke, M M Mareel
1Department of Radiotherapy and Nuclear Medicine, University of Gent, Belgium.
Abstract:
Fast plasma membrane movements (FPMM) are involved in ruffling, blebbing, fast shape change, and fast translocation. A simple method for the quantification of FPMM was used to study the relation between FPMM and invasive capacity in five pairs of invasive and noninvasive variants from four different epithelial cell types. The human mammary cell line MCF-7/6, the ras-transformed dog kidney cell line ras-MDCK, the ras-transformed mouse mammary gland cell lines NM9-ras-12 and NM-f-ras-TD, and spontaneously transformed late passage mouse lens explant MLE cells, all of which were invasive in vitro, showed more FPMM in our measurements and displayed more ruffling activity on time-lapse video films than the related or parental MCF-7/AZ, MDCK-3, NM9, and NM-f cell lines and early passage MLE cells, none of which were invasive. Interestingly, induction of invasive capacity in MCF-7/AZ cells by retinoic acid was accompanied by an increase in FPMM, but speed of translocation was not increased. Together these observations support the hypothesis that a certain level of FPMM is a prerequisite for invasive capacity.
Insights
Fast plasma membrane movements (FPMM) are essential for cell invasion. Studies show increased FPMM correlates with higher invasive capacity in various epithelial cells, suggesting FPMM is a prerequisite for invasion.
Area of Science:
- Cell Biology
- Biophysics
Background:
- Fast plasma membrane movements (FPMM) are crucial for cellular processes like ruffling and blebbing.
- The relationship between FPMM and cellular invasive capacity remains incompletely understood.
Purpose of the Study:
- To investigate the correlation between FPMM and the invasive potential of epithelial cells.
- To determine if FPMM is a necessary factor for cellular invasion.
Main Methods:
- Quantification of FPMM using a novel, simple method.
- Comparative analysis of FPMM in invasive and non-invasive cell variants from four different epithelial cell types.
- Time-lapse video microscopy to observe ruffling activity.
Main Results:
- Invasive cell lines (MCF-7/6, ras-MDCK, NM9-ras-12, NM-f-ras-TD, MLE) exhibited significantly higher FPMM compared to their non-invasive counterparts.
- Increased ruffling activity was observed in invasive cells.
- Inducing invasive capacity in MCF-7/AZ cells with retinoic acid led to increased FPMM, without altering translocation speed.
Conclusions:
- A significant level of FPMM is a prerequisite for the development of invasive capacity in epithelial cells.
- FPMM, particularly ruffling, plays a critical role in enabling cellular invasion.