Consecutive entosis stages in human substrate-dependent cultured cells

Entosis, or cell death by invading another cell, is typical for tumor epithelial cells. The formation of cell-in-cell structures is extensively studied in suspension cultures, but remains poorly understood in substrate-dependent cells. Here, we used electron, confocal and time-lapse microscopy in combination with pharmacological inhibition of intracellular components to study the kinetics of entosis using two human substrate-dependent tumor cultures, A431 and MCF7. In total, we identified and characterized five consecutive stages of entosis, which were common for both examined cell lines. We further demonstrated that actin filaments in the entotic as well as invading cells were crucial for entosis. Microtubules and the Golgi apparatus of entotic cells provided membrane expansion required for internalization of the invading cell. Depolymerization of microfilaments and microtubules, and disintegration of the Golgi complex inhibited entosis. We confirmed the presence of adhesive junctions and discovered the formation of desmosomes between the invading and entotic cells. The internalized cell was shown to be degraded due to the lysosomal activation in both cells whereas the disintegration of the Golgi apparatus did not affect the process. Thus, in the substrate-dependent cultures, entosis requires microfilaments, microtubules and the Golgi complex for cell invasion, but not for internalized cell degradation.