title: A fast and robust quantitative time-lapse assay for cell migration.
abstract: We describe a simple and widely applicable method to measure cell migration in time-lapse sequences of fluorescently labeled cells in culture. Briefly, binarized cell images obtained after thresholding were cumulatively projected, and the covered areas were measured. This procedure determines the time course of the track area successively covered by the cell population. Under conditions where cell growth is negligible, a robust index of cell motility is derived from normalized plots for the displacement of cells over time. We applied this method to quantitatively examine the migration of B35 neuroblastoma cells transiently expressing GFP and to C6 glioma cells after staining with Hoechst 33258. This sensitive assay detected the influence of agents which inhibit actin polymerization (cytochalasin B) or interfere with the maintenance of cell polarity (methyl-beta-cyclodextrin) on cell migration. Thus, this assay is a versatile tool to measure quickly the migration of different cell types using different labeling strategies.
authors.affiliation: Institut für Physiologische Chemie, Nussallee 11, D-53115 Bonn, Germany.
authors.forename: Lingsong
authors.initials: L
authors.lastname: Dai
authors.forename: Wolfgang
authors.initials: W
authors.lastname: Alt
authors.forename: Karl
authors.initials: K
authors.lastname: Schilling
authors.forename: Jens
authors.initials: J
authors.lastname: Retzlik
authors.forename: Volkmar
authors.initials: V
authors.lastname: Gieselmann
authors.forename: Thomas M
authors.initials: TM
authors.lastname: Magin
authors.forename: Joachim
authors.initials: J
authors.lastname: Kappler
mesh_terms: D000818:Animals; D045744:Cell Line, Tumor; D002465:Cell Movement / Q000187:drug effects; D003571:Cytochalasin B / Q000494:pharmacology; D005910:Glioma; D049452:Green Fluorescent Proteins / Q000032:analysis* / Q000378:metabolism; D008856:Microscopy, Fluorescence / Q000379:methods*; D009447:Neuroblastoma; D009457:Neuroglia / Q000737:chemistry / Q000166:cytology / Q000502:physiology; D009474:Neurons / Q000737:chemistry / Q000166:cytology / Q000502:physiology; D051381:Rats; D047392:beta-Cyclodextrins / Q000494:pharmacology
chemical_list: D047392:beta-Cyclodextrins; C108732:methyl-beta-cyclodextrin; D049452:Green Fluorescent Proteins; D003571:Cytochalasin B