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Fitness of cell colonies to navigate obstacles

ORAL

Abstract

We confront confluent epithelial cells with the need to adapt from wide-channel to narrow-channel growth. Upconversion from single cell, the colony self-organizes to facilitate migration with greater efficiency than that would be accomplished by fluid hydrodynamics. This is traced to long-range mechanical signaling. Stretched leader cells trigger acceleration of the whole group; the resulting velocity difference, in turn, reinforces stretching of the leaders and establishes positive feedback between cell morphology and mechanical strength, as we confirm by direct visualization of F-actin expression, cadherin localization, and the shapes of cells and their nuclei. The relevance is to show how mechanical signaling promotes a 'smart' group navigation strategy in which adaptations of individual cells to the local environment propagate over long distances to benefit the whole colony.

Presenters

  • Bo Li

    Institute for Basic Science, Institute of Basic Science, Center for soft and living matter, Institute of Basic Science, Center for Soft and Living Matter, Institute for Basic Science

Authors

  • Bo Li

    Institute for Basic Science, Institute of Basic Science, Center for soft and living matter, Institute of Basic Science, Center for Soft and Living Matter, Institute for Basic Science

  • Sun-Min Yu

    Institute of Basic Science, Center for soft and living matter, School of Biomedical Engineering, Ulsan National Institute of Science & Technology

  • Yoon-Kyoung Cho

    Institute of Basic Science, Center for soft and living matter, School of Biomedical Engineering, Ulsan National Institute of Science & Technology

  • Steve Granick

    Institute for Basic Science, IBS Center for Soft and Living Matter, Institute of Basic Sciences, Ulsan National Institute of Science and Technology, Institute of Basic Science, Center for soft and living matter, Center for Soft and Living Matter, Institute for Basic Science, Ulsan Natl Inst of Sci & Tech