title: Slipping or gripping? Fluorescent speckle microscopy in fish keratocytes reveals two different mechanisms for generating a retrograde flow of actin.
abstract: Fish keratocytes can generate rearward directed traction forces within front portions of the lamellipodium, suggesting that a retrograde flow of actin may also occur here but this was not detected by previous photoactivation experiments. To investigate the relationship between retrograde flow and traction force generation, we have transfected keratocytes with GFP-actin and used fluorescent speckle microscopy, to observe speckle flow. We detected a retrograde flow of actin within the leading lamellipodium that is inversely proportional to both protrusion rate and cell speed. To observe the effect of reducing contractility, we treated transfected cells with ML7, a potent inhibitor of myosin II. Surprisingly, ML7 treatment led to an increase in retrograde flow rate, together with a decrease in protrusion and cell speed, but only in rapidly moving cells. In slower moving cells, retrograde flow decreased, whereas protrusion rate and cell speed increased. These results suggest that there are two mechanisms for producing retrograde flow. One involves slippage between the cytoskeleton and adhesions, that decreases traction force production. The other involves slippage between adhesions and the substratum, which increases traction force production. We conclude that a biphasic relationship exists between retrograde actin flow and adhesiveness in moving keratocytes.
authors.affiliation: Department of Molecular and Cell Biology, University of Connecticut, Storrs, CT 06269, USA.
authors.forename: Carlos
authors.initials: C
authors.lastname: Jurado
authors.forename: John R
authors.initials: JR
authors.lastname: Haserick
authors.forename: Juliet
authors.initials: J
authors.lastname: Lee
mesh_terms: D000199:Actins / Q000378:metabolism*; D000818:Animals; D001381:Azepines / Q000494:pharmacology; D002448:Cell Adhesion; D002465:Cell Movement / Q000187:drug effects* / Q000502:physiology; D002478:Cells, Cultured; D003315:Cornea / Q000166:cytology; D004791:Enzyme Inhibitors / Q000494:pharmacology; D004847:Epithelial Cells / Q000187:drug effects* / Q000502:physiology; D005109:Extracellular Matrix / Q000378:metabolism; D005455:Fluorescent Antibody Technique; D005456:Fluorescent Dyes; D005780:Gelatin / Q000378:metabolism; D049452:Green Fluorescent Proteins / Q000378:metabolism; D007091:Image Processing, Computer-Assisted; D007700:Kinetics; D008856:Microscopy, Fluorescence; D008954:Models, Biological; D024462:Myosin Type II / Q000187:drug effects; D009219:Myosin-Light-Chain Kinase / Q000037:antagonists & inhibitors; D009281:Naphthalenes / Q000494:pharmacology; D010590:Phalloidine; D011036:Poecilia; D011554:Pseudopodia / Q000502:physiology; D014162:Transfection
chemical_list: D000199:Actins; D001381:Azepines; D004791:Enzyme Inhibitors; D005456:Fluorescent Dyes; D009281:Naphthalenes; C070571:ML 7; D049452:Green Fluorescent Proteins; D010590:Phalloidine; D005780:Gelatin; D009219:Myosin-Light-Chain Kinase; D024462:Myosin Type II