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Cell Division Induces and Switches Coherent Angular Motion within Bounded Cellular Collectives.
Michael J Siedlik1, Sriram Manivannan1, Ioannis G Kevrekidis1
1Department of Chemical and Biological Engineering, Princeton University, Princeton, New Jersey.
Biophysical Journal
|June 8, 2017
Summary
Cell divisions drive collective cell migration in vortices, a process known as coherent angular motion (CAM). Suppressing cell division reduces this motion, highlighting its importance in tissue development and cancer progression.
Area of Science:
- Cell Biology
- Developmental Biology
- Biophysics
Background:
- Collective cell migration is essential for embryonic development, wound healing, and cancer progression.
- Coherent angular motion (CAM), characterized by collective cell movement in vortices, is observed in embryonic development.
Purpose of the Study:
- To investigate the mechanisms driving the emergence and temporal dynamics of coherent angular motion (CAM) in collective cell migration.
- To understand the role of cell division in regulating CAM within engineered mammary epithelial cell monolayers.
Main Methods:
- Quantitative image analysis of mammary epithelial cell monolayers.
- Particle-based simulations to model collective cell migration and the impact of cell division.
- Experimental validation of simulation predictions regarding cell division and CAM.
Main Results:
- Suppression of mitosis significantly reduces coherent angular motion (CAM) in mammary epithelial cell monolayers.
- Particle-based simulations confirm that cell divisions are key drivers of CAM emergence and directional switching.
- Simulation results indicate that the location of a dividing cell, not the division axis orientation, is critical for initiating CAM.
Conclusions:
- Cell divisions play a crucial role in the robust emergence and regulation of coherent angular motion (CAM) during collective cell migration.
- The findings provide new insights into how cell division dynamics influence tissue-level migratory behaviors, such as vortical motion.
- Regulating cell division is a potential strategy for controlling emergent collective migratory behaviors in biological systems.
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