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Published on: November 7, 2013
Velocity fields in a collectively migrating epithelium.
L Petitjean1, M Reffay, E Grasland-Mongrain
1Laboratoire Physico-chimie Curie, Institut Curie, Centre de Recherche, CNRS, Université Pierre et Marie Curie, Paris, France.
Biophysical Journal
|May 6, 2010
Summary
This study quantifies cell migration velocity fields in epithelia using particle image velocimetry. Madin-Darby canine kidney (MDCK) cells show more coherent migration than normal rat kidney (NRK) cells.
Area of Science:
- Cell biology
- Biophysics
- Tissue engineering
Background:
- Cell migration is crucial for development and wound healing.
- Understanding collective cell migration dynamics is key to tissue regeneration.
- Previous studies lacked quantitative analysis of velocity fields in motile epithelia.
Purpose of the Study:
- To quantitatively measure the velocity field of collectively migrating cells in a motile epithelium.
- To analyze key parameters like velocity module, order parameter, and velocity correlation function.
- To compare the migration behavior of Madin-Darby canine kidney (MDCK) cells and normal rat kidney (NRK) cells.
Main Methods:
- Microstencil technique to initiate controlled migration without cell damage.
- Particle image velocimetry (PIV) to map the velocity field, avoiding single-cell tracking challenges.
- Biorthogonal decomposition of the velocity field for coherence analysis.
Main Results:
- MDCK cells exhibited a sharp velocity decrease post-confluence, unlike NRK cells.
- Measured velocity correlation length: ~200 microm for MDCK cells vs. ~40 microm for NRK cells.
- MDCK cell velocity fields were significantly more coherent than NRK cells.
Conclusions:
- MDCK cells display highly coherent collective migration patterns.
- The migration behavior differs significantly between MDCK and NRK cell types.
- Cellular coherence influences tissue-level migration dynamics over considerable distances.
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