title: Myosin IIA dependent retrograde flow drives 3D cell migration.
abstract: Epithelial cell migration is an essential part of embryogenesis and tissue regeneration, yet their migration is least understood. Using our three-dimensional (3D) motility analysis, migrating epithelial cells formed an atypical polarized cell shape with the nucleus leading the cell front and a contractile cell rear. Migrating epithelial cells exerted traction forces to deform both the anterior and posterior extracellular matrix toward the cell body. The cell leading edge exhibited a myosin II-dependent retrograde flow with the magnitude and direction consistent with surrounding network deformation. Interestingly, on a two-dimensional substrate, myosin IIA-deficient cells migrated faster than wild-type cells, but in a 3D gel, these myosin IIA-deficient cells were unpolarized and immobile. In contrast, the migration rates of myosin IIB-deficient cells were similar to wild-type cells. Therefore, myosin IIA, not myosin IIB, is required for 3D epithelial cell migration.
authors.forename: Wenting
authors.initials: W
authors.lastname: Shih
authors.forename: Soichiro
authors.initials: S
authors.lastname: Yamada
mesh_terms: D000818:Animals; D002465:Cell Movement; D016764:Cell Polarity; D048430:Cell Shape; D004285:Dogs; D004847:Epithelial Cells / Q000166:cytology* / Q000378:metabolism*; D024507:Nonmuscle Myosin Type IIA / Q000378:metabolism*
chemical_list: D024507:Nonmuscle Myosin Type IIA
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