Collective cell streams in epithelial monolayers depend on cell adhesion.

Area of Science:

• Cell biology
• Biophysics
• Fluid dynamics

Background:

• Collective cell migration is crucial in development and disease.
• Cell-cell adhesion molecules, like cadherins, regulate cell interactions.
• Understanding emergent behaviors in cell populations is a key challenge.

Purpose of the Study:

• To investigate collective streaming behavior in human keratinocyte monolayers.
• To explore how modulating calcium-dependent cell adhesion affects these emergent patterns.
• To develop a computational model explaining the observed phenomena.

Main Methods:

• Utilized a human keratinocyte cell line in monolayer culture.
• Perturbed calcium-dependent cell adhesion molecule function.
• Developed and employed a cell-based model incorporating mechanical stability and surface tension.
• Analyzed emergent cell flow patterns and stream anisotropy.

Main Results:

• Observed spontaneous, collective streaming behavior in keratinocyte monolayers.
• Demonstrated that decreased cell adhesion leads to narrower, more anisotropic cell streams.
• The cell-based model successfully reproduced experimental observations by adjusting adhesion parameters.
• The model highlights the interplay between mechanical stability and surface tension in collective cell movement.

Conclusions:

• Cell-cell adhesion dynamics significantly influence emergent collective cell migration patterns.
• The study provides a biophysical model explaining how adhesion properties dictate cell stream characteristics.
• Findings offer insights into tissue morphogenesis and wound healing where collective cell movement is vital.