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Updated: Aug 24, 2025

In vitro Cell Migration and Invasion Assays
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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
PubMed

Insights

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.
Keywords:
ERKRASactinadhesionpulse

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