Molecular insight into the motile phenotype of the leader cells in epithelial collective migration

2015 Fiscal Year Final Research Report

• Project/Area Number: 25860215
• Research Category: Grant-in-Aid for Young Scientists (B)
• Allocation Type: Multi-year Fund
• Research Field: General medical chemistry
• Research Institution: Kobe University
• Principal Investigator: Kurisu Shusaku 神戸大学, バイオシグナル研究センター, 助教 (40525531)
• Project Period (FY): 2013-04-01 – 2016-03-31
• Keywords: 集団遊走 / ライブイメージング / Eps8 / IRSp53

Outline of Final Research Achievements

In a collectively migrating cohort of epithelial cells, how each cell in the collective communicates with its neighbor and what mechanism drives these cells to move in one direction were unsolved questions. To understand epithelial collective migration precisely, I established a model cell-culture system that can be observed under time-lapse confocal microscopy at high resolution. Using this system, I succeeded to capture dynamic motion of each cell within a moving cluster of epithelial cells: a subset of cells, namely the leading cells, initiate to move by extending pseudopodia into the surrounding extracellular matrix and the rest of cells follows them without forming obvious pseudopodia. I also identified a key protein complex called IRSp53/Eps8 complex is essential for formation of pseudopodia in the leading cells. The results of this study would benefit to understand the epithelial collective migration at the molecular level.

Free Research Field

細胞生物学