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Collective cell movement is critical in pathological processes such as wound healing and cancer invasion. It entails complex interactions between adjacent cells and between cells-extracellular matrices. Most studies measure the migration patterns and force propagation by placing cells on flat, patterned substrates. The cooperative behavior resulting from cell-cell interactions is not well understood. We have developed a multi-channel microfluidic device that has junctional protein E-cadherin coated onto the sidewalls of the channels that enables the cells' lateral interactions with their neighbors to be studied. Our study reveals that epithelial cells rely on lateral E-cadherin-based adhesions to maintain the cohesion of the group. Cells move faster in narrower channels, but the average velocity along the channels is reduced in E-cadherin coated channels versus non-adhesive channels. We have directly measured the forces in the cross-linking protein, alpha-actinin, using FRET sensors during cell migration, and found that higher tension exists at the cell edges adjacent to the walls coated with E-cadherin, the implication being E-cadherin transmits the shear forces but does not provide a driving force for this migration.

Adherent cells interact with extracellular matrix via cell-substrate contacts at focal adhesions. The dynamic assembly and disassembly of focal adhesions enables cell attachment, migration and growth. While the influence of mechanical forces on the formation and growth of focal adhesions has been widely observed, the force loading on specific proteins at focal adhesion complex is not clear. By co-expressing force sensitive α-actinin FRET probes and fluorescence labeled paxillin in MDCK cells, we have simultaneously observed the time-dependent changes in tension in α-actinin and the dynamics of focal adhesion during cell migration. We show that increase in tension in α-actinin at the focal adhesion coincides with elongation of the adhesion in its growth phase. The enlargement of focal adhesion is through a force sensitive recruitment of α-actinin and paxillin to the adhesion sites. Changes in α-actinin tension and correlated relocation of α-actinin in an active adhesion also guide the growth direction of the adhesion. The results support the model that cytoskeletal tension is coupled to focal adhesion via the linking protein, α-actinin at the adhesion complex. Lysophosphatidic acid caused an immediate increase in α-actinin tension followed by drastic focal adhesion formation and elongation. Application of Rho-ROCK inhibitor, Y27632, resulted in reversible reduction in tension in α-actinin and disassociation of focal adhesion, suggesting the involvement of myosin-II mediated contractile force in the focal adhesion dynamics. These findings suggest that α-actinin not only serves as a physical linker between cytoskeleton and integrin, but also participates in force transmission at adhesion sites to facilitate adhesion׳s growth.

Interaction of cells with extracellular matrix (ECM) regulates cell shape, differentiation and polarity. This effect has been widely observed in cells grown on substrates with various patterned features, stiffness and surface chemistry. It has been postulated that mechanical confinement of cells by the substrate causes a redistribution of tension in cytoskeletal proteins resulting in cytoskeletal reorganization through force sensitive pathways. However, the mechanisms for force transduction during reorganization remain unclear. In this study, using FRET based force sensors we have measured tension in an actin cross-linking protein, α-actinin, and followed reorganization of actin cytoskeleton in real time in HEK cells grown on patterned substrates. We show that the patterned substrates cause a redistribution of tension in α-actinin that coincides with cytoskeleton reorganization. Higher tension was observed in portions of cells where they form bridges across inhibited regions of the patterned substrates; the attachment to the substrate is found to release tension. Real time measurements of α-actinin tension and F-actin arrangement show that an increase in tension coincides with formation of F-actin bundles at the cell periphery during cell-spreading across inhibited regions, suggesting that mechanical forces stimulate cytoskeleton enhancement. Rho-ROCK inhibitor (Y27632) causes reduction in actinin tension followed by retraction of bridged regions. Our results demonstrate that changes in cell shape and expansion over patterned surfaces is a force sensitive process that requires actomyosin contractile force involving Rho-ROCK pathway.