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Updated: Aug 24, 2025
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In vitro Cell Migration and Invasion Assays
Published on: June 1, 2014
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ERK signaling for cell migration and invasion
Shiela C Samson1,2, Akib M Khan1,2, Michelle C Mendoza1,2
1Department of Oncological Sciences, University of Utah, Salt Lake City, UT, United States.
Frontiers in Molecular Biosciences
|October 20, 2022
Summary
The RAS-ERK pathway promotes cell migration and invasion. New biosensors reveal how ERK activity fluctuations drive cell movement and invasion, offering insights into cellular signaling.
Area of Science:
- Cell Biology
- Molecular Biology
- Biochemistry
Background:
- The RAS-Extracellular signal-regulated kinase (RAS-ERK) pathway is crucial for cell migration and invasion.
- ERK signaling historically linked to proliferation and differentiation, now recognized for roles in cell motility.
- Recent advances illuminate specific ERK signaling patterns and effectors governing cell migration.
Purpose of the Study:
- To review new findings on ERK pathway stimulation modes.
- To discuss how elevated ERK baseline activity influences single-cell and collective migration/invasion.
- To explore ERK's role in actin dynamics, adhesion turnover, and cell contraction-mediated signaling waves.
Main Methods:
- Review of recent literature on RAS-ERK pathway signaling.
- Analysis of new pathway probes and biosensor data.
- Discussion of experimental observations on ERK activity and cell behavior.
Main Results:
- Increased baseline ERK activity promotes cell migration and invasion.
- ERK drives actin polymerization and adhesion turnover for cell edge protrusion.
- Cell contraction generates ERK activity waves in epithelial sheets.
Conclusions:
- Understanding ERK's role in cell migration is advancing with new technologies.
- Spatial and temporal monitoring of ERK activity is key to deciphering cell signaling.
- Future research can determine how cells interpret diverse in vivo signals to ERK.
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