Description

Cell migration is central to many biological processes including embryonic development, wound healing, and cancer progression. Cell migration is sensitive to environmental stiffness, and many cell types exhibit a stiffness optimum at which migration is maximal. Here we present a cell migration simulator that predicts a stiffness optimum that can be shifted by altering the number of active molecular motors and clutches. This prediction is verified experimentally by comparing cell traction and F-actin retrograde flow for two cell types with differing amounts of active motors and clutches: embryonic chick forebrain neurons (ECFNs; optimum ~1 kPa) and U251 glioma cells (optimum ~100 kPa). In addition, the model predicts, and experiments confirm, that the stiffness optimum of U251 glioma cell migration, morphology, and F-actin retrograde flow rate can be shifted to lower stiffness by simultaneous drug inhibition of myosin II motors and integrin-mediated adhesions.

Publication Title

Shifting the optimal stiffness for cell migration.

Sample Metadata Fields

Sex, Cell line