Abstract

The ability of cells to follow gradients of extracellular matrix stiffness—durotaxis—has been implicated in development, fibrosis, and cancer. Here, we found multicellular clusters that exhibited durotaxis even if isolated constituent cells did not. This emergent mode of directed collective cell migration applied to a variety of epithelial cell types, required the action of myosin motors, and originated from supracellular transmission of contractile physical forces. To explain the observed phenomenology, we developed a generalized clutch model in which local stick-slip dynamics of cell-matrix adhesions was integrated to the tissue level through cell-cell junctions. Collective durotaxis is far more efficient than single-cell durotaxis; it thus emerges as a robust mechanism to direct cell migration during development, wound healing, and collective cancer cell invasion.

Full Document

The PDF file did not load properly or your web browser does not support viewing PDF files. Download directly to your device: Download PDF document
Back to Top

Document information

Published on 01/01/2016

DOI: 10.1126/science.aaf7119
Licence: CC BY-NC-SA license

Document Score

0

Views 4
Recommendations 0

Share this document

claim authorship

Are you one of the authors of this document?