Collective cell migration is fundamental throughout development and in many diseases. Spatial confinement using micropatterns has been shown to promote collective cell migration in vitro, but its effect in vivo remains unclear. Combining computational and experimental approaches, we show that the in vivo collective migration of neural crest cells (NCCs) depends on such confinement. We demonstrate that confinement may be imposed by the spatiotemporal distribution of a nonpermissive substrate provided by versican, an extracellular matrix molecule previously proposed to have contrasting roles: barrier or promoter of NCC migration. We resolve the controversy by demonstrating that versican works as an inhibitor of NCC migration and also acts as a guiding cue by forming exclusionary boundaries. Our model predicts an optimal number of cells in a given confinement width to allow for directional migration. This optimum coincides with the width of neural crest migratory streams analyzed across different species, proposing an explanation for the highly conserved nature of NCC streams during development.

In vivo confinement promotes collective migration of neural crest cells / Szabó, András; Melchionda, Manuela; Nastasi, Giancarlo; Woods, Mae L.; Campo, Salvatore; Perris, Roberto; Mayor, Roberto. - In: THE JOURNAL OF CELL BIOLOGY. - ISSN 0021-9525. - 213:5(2016), pp. 543-555. [10.1083/jcb.201602083]

In vivo confinement promotes collective migration of neural crest cells

PERRIS, Roberto;
2016-01-01

Abstract

Collective cell migration is fundamental throughout development and in many diseases. Spatial confinement using micropatterns has been shown to promote collective cell migration in vitro, but its effect in vivo remains unclear. Combining computational and experimental approaches, we show that the in vivo collective migration of neural crest cells (NCCs) depends on such confinement. We demonstrate that confinement may be imposed by the spatiotemporal distribution of a nonpermissive substrate provided by versican, an extracellular matrix molecule previously proposed to have contrasting roles: barrier or promoter of NCC migration. We resolve the controversy by demonstrating that versican works as an inhibitor of NCC migration and also acts as a guiding cue by forming exclusionary boundaries. Our model predicts an optimal number of cells in a given confinement width to allow for directional migration. This optimum coincides with the width of neural crest migratory streams analyzed across different species, proposing an explanation for the highly conserved nature of NCC streams during development.
2016
In vivo confinement promotes collective migration of neural crest cells / Szabó, András; Melchionda, Manuela; Nastasi, Giancarlo; Woods, Mae L.; Campo, Salvatore; Perris, Roberto; Mayor, Roberto. - In: THE JOURNAL OF CELL BIOLOGY. - ISSN 0021-9525. - 213:5(2016), pp. 543-555. [10.1083/jcb.201602083]
File in questo prodotto:
Non ci sono file associati a questo prodotto.

I documenti in IRIS sono protetti da copyright e tutti i diritti sono riservati, salvo diversa indicazione.

Utilizza questo identificativo per citare o creare un link a questo documento: https://hdl.handle.net/11381/2812714
Citazioni
  • ???jsp.display-item.citation.pmc??? ND
  • Scopus 89
  • ???jsp.display-item.citation.isi??? 85
social impact