Related Experiment Video
Updated: Sep 19, 2025

Impedance-based Real-time Measurement of Cancer Cell Migration and Invasion
Published on: April 2, 2020
Differential roles of cyclin-CDK1 complexes in cell migration and invasion
Joseph H R Hetmanski1,2, Michael J Jones3, Matthew Hartshorn2
1Centre for Genome Engineering and Maintenance, Division of Biosciences, Dept. of Life Sciences, Brunel University of London, London UB8 3PH, UK.
None:
We have previously described a central role for CDK1 at the nexus of adhesion signalling and cell cycle progression, demonstrating that CDK1 has a non-canonical role in regulating integrin adhesion complexes and in the migration of cancer cells in 3D interstitial matrix. Here, we show that the CDK1-binding partners cyclinB1 and cyclinA2 also have roles in cell migration and invasion in both cancer and non-transformed cells. CyclinB1 plays a key role in RhoA activation to promote rear retraction in a membrane tension-dependent manner, whereas cyclinA2 has a general role in promoting motility. Knockdown of either cyclin significantly perturbs migration with contrasting phenotypes, whereas knockdown of both together has an additive effect, which arrests both migration and division. Our findings therefore describe how cyclin-CDK1 complexes orchestrate migration as well as division of cells, and that cyclinA2-CDK1 and cyclinB1-CDK1 complexes play distinct roles in motility.
Related Concept Videos
M-Cdk Drives Transition Into Mitosis
Cyclin-dependent kinases, or Cdks, work in concert with cyclins to control cell cycle transitions. M-Cdk, a complex of Cdk1 bound to M cyclin, is a well-known example of this coordinated control that drives the transition from the G2 to the M phase.
M cyclin...
Cancer Cell Migration through Invadopodia
Positive Regulator Molecules
Cytoskeletal Coordination in Cell Migration
Inhibition of Cdk Activity
Cell Migration

