Subject collection: Cell Migration
- Switching between blebbing and lamellipodia depends on the degree of non-muscle myosin II activity
Summary: Migratory plasticity between blebbing and lamellipodia in normal breast cells and breast cancer cells depends on non-muscle myosin II activity, which is fine tuned by ROCK and MLCK.
- Kindlin-2 promotes rear focal adhesion disassembly and directional persistence during cell migration
Summary: Cell migration is a polarized process that requires adhesion release at the cell rear. Kindlin-2 regulates actomyosin contraction and promotes focal adhesion disassembly and directional persistence at the cell rear.
- The protein tyrosine phosphatase PTP-PEST mediates hypoxia-induced endothelial autophagy and angiogenesis via AMPK activation
Highlighted Article: The protein tyrosine phosphatase PTP-PEST is identified as a major regulator of hypoxia-induced AMPK activation in endothelial cells, which consequently leads to autophagy and angiogenesis.
- The tight junction protein Claudin-5 limits endothelial cell motility
Summary: The tight junction protein Claudin-5 plays an essential role during zebrafish embryonic development by limiting the motility and enhancing the adhesion of arterial endothelial cells.
- EGFRvIII uses intrinsic and extrinsic mechanisms to reduce glioma adhesion and increase migration
Summary: Constitutively active and truncated EGFR transcriptionally represses integrins via a SHC–MEK signaling axis, and communicates with neighboring cells through TNFα to promote cooperative invasion.
- Disease-associated keratin mutations reduce traction forces and compromise adhesion and collective migration
Summary: An epidermolysis bullosa simplex-associated keratin mutation causes defects in mechanotransduction. Keratin networks regulate traction force generation through a Rho signaling pathway upstream of cell–ECM adhesion formation and organized cell migration.
- GDNF drives rapid tubule morphogenesis in a novel 3D in vitro model for ADPKD
Highlighted Article: A new three-dimensional in vitro model drives tubule morphogenesis with the addition of GDNF and demonstrates methods for interrogating the initiation of ADPKD cystogenesis.
- DLC1 is a direct target of activated YAP/TAZ that drives collective migration and sprouting angiogenesis
Highlighted Article: The focal adhesion protein DLC1 is a direct transcriptional target of YAP/TAZ and TEAD, and is crucial for YAP-driven collective migration and sprouting angiogenesis in endothelial cells.
- Cooperative recruitment of Arl4A and Pak1 to the plasma membrane contributes to sustained Pak1 activation for cell migration
Summary: Although Rho GTPases are well-characterized activators of serine/threonine protein kinase Pak1, cooperative recruitment of Arl4A and Pak1 to the plasma membrane promotes Pak1 activation independently of Rac1-Pak1 signaling.
- P-cadherin-induced decorin secretion is required for collagen fiber alignment and directional collective cell migration
Highlighted Article: P-cadherin-induced decorin expression allows collagen fiber alignment and subsequent activation of the β-PIX/Cdc42 axis to promote directional collective cell migration.