Nonautonomous contact guidance signaling during collective cell migration

Area of Science:

• Cell biology
• Biophysics
• Developmental biology

Background:

• Directed cell migration is crucial for tissue morphogenesis and function.
• Coordinated migration of cell groups is essential for maintaining tissue integrity.
• Topographic cues significantly influence cell migration, but their effect on collective cell behavior is less understood.

Purpose of the Study:

• To investigate how topographic cues affect the collective migration of cell groups.
• To explore the impact of topography on cell-cell coordination during migration.
• To understand the transmission of contact guidance information between neighboring cells in a confluent monolayer.

Main Methods:

• Quantifying the migratory response of epithelial and fibroblast cell monolayers to grooved topography.
• In vitro and in silico modeling to analyze signal propagation between cells.
• Assessing the influence of cell-cell junction strength on guidance signal transmission.

Main Results:

• Individual cells exhibit contact guidance by grooves, leading to more coordinated behavior in both sparse clusters and confluent sheets.
• Guidance signals from grooves propagate between neighboring cells in confluent monolayers.
• The distance of signal propagation is independent of cell-junction strength and emerges from mechanical exclusion interactions.

Conclusions:

• Topographic cues not only guide individual cells but also influence collective cell migration and coordination.
• Contact guidance information can be transmitted between cells in a confluent monolayer through emergent mechanical interactions.
• Understanding these collective behaviors is vital for tissue engineering and regenerative medicine.