Back to Search Start Over

On fundamental cellular processes for emergence of collective epithelial movement

Authors :
Tsuyoshi Hirashima
Yoichiroh Hosokawa
Takanori Iino
Masaharu Nagayama
Source :
Biology Open, Vol 2, Iss 7, Pp 660-666 (2013)
Publication Year :
2013
Publisher :
The Company of Biologists, 2013.

Abstract

Summary In all animals, collective cell movement is an essential process in many events, including wound healing and embryonic development. However, our understanding of what characterizes the emergence of multicellular collective behavior is still far from complete. In this article we showed the fundamental cellular processes that drive collective cell movement by means of integrated approaches, including precise quantification measurements and mathematical modeling of measured data. First, we observed the dependence of the collective behaviors of cultured human skin cells on Ca2+ concentrations. When the culturing area confined by a PDMS sheet was suddenly expanded by removing the sheet, the group of cells moved to the expanded area with higher collectivity at higher Ca2+ concentrations. Next, we quantitatively measured cellular responses to the Ca2+ treatments, such as cell growth, cell division, and the strength of intercellular adhesion. Using a femtosecond-laser-based assay, an original method for estimating intercellular adhesion, we found that the strength of intercellular adhesion has an approximately 13-fold range in our treatments. Incorporating the quantitative data into a mathematical model, we then confirmed that the model well reproduced the multicellular behaviors we observed, demonstrating that the strength of intercellular adhesion sufficiently determines the generation of collective cell movement. Finally, we performed extensive numerical experiments, and the results suggested that the emergence of collective cell movement is derived by an optimal balance between the strength of intercellular adhesion and the intensity of cell migration.

Details

Language :
English
ISSN :
20466390
Volume :
2
Issue :
7
Database :
Directory of Open Access Journals
Journal :
Biology Open
Publication Type :
Academic Journal
Accession number :
edsdoj.29efdb5f31e4964a71cf92554dc535f
Document Type :
article
Full Text :
https://doi.org/10.1242/bio.20134523