Tether-guided lamellipodia enable rapid wound healing

Area of Science:

• Cell Biology
• Biophysics
• Tissue Engineering

Background:

• Cellular adhesion to the extracellular matrix is crucial for tissue integrity.
• Detachment and re-adhesion dynamics are vital during wound healing and cell division.
• Mechanisms of rapid cell re-adhesion post-detachment are not fully understood due to technical challenges.

Purpose of the Study:

• To investigate how epithelial cells re-establish adhesion following acute detachment events.
• To identify the cellular structures and mechanisms involved in rapid re-adhesion.
• To explore the role of membrane tethers in guiding cell re-spreading.

Main Methods:

• Utilized acute chemical and mechanical perturbations to induce partial epithelial cell delamination.
• Observed cell responses using microscopy to analyze lamellipodia extension and membrane tether formation.
• Performed in vivo experiments using a zebrafish wound assay to validate findings in a physiological context.

Main Results:

• Cells rapidly extended lamellipodia to re-adhere within seconds of detachment.
• Lamellipodia extension was guided by sparse membrane tethers that remained attached to original adhesion sites.
• In vivo, tether-guided lamellipodia facilitated rapid re-spreading in response to mechanical wounding, directed opposite to the pulling force.

Conclusions:

• Membrane tether-guided lamellipodial respreading is a key mechanism for rapid re-establishment of cell-matrix adhesion.
• This process is critical for restoring tissue integrity after acute disruptions.
• Findings provide insights into cellular repair mechanisms relevant to wound healing and disease pathology.