title: Regulation of invadopodia by mechanical signaling.
abstract: Mechanical rigidity in the tumor microenvironment is associated with a high risk of tumor formation and aggressiveness. Adhesion-based signaling driven by a rigid microenvironment is thought to facilitate invasion and migration of cancer cells away from primary tumors. Proteolytic degradation of extracellular matrix (ECM) is a key component of this process and is mediated by subcellular actin-rich structures known as invadopodia. Both ECM rigidity and cellular traction stresses promote invadopodia formation and activity, suggesting a role for these structures in mechanosensing. The presence and activity of mechanosensitive adhesive and signaling components at invadopodia further indicates the potential for these structures to utilize myosin-dependent forces to probe and remodel their ECM environments. Here, we provide a brief review of the role of adhesion-based mechanical signaling in controlling invadopodia and invasive cancer behavior.
authors.affiliation: Department of Otolaryngology, Vanderbilt University Medical Center, Nashville, TN 37232 USA; Vanderbilt-Ingram Cancer Center, Vanderbilt University Medical Center, Nashville, TN 37232 USA. Electronic address: aron.parekh@vanderbilt.edu.
authors.forename: Aron
authors.initials: A
authors.lastname: Parekh
authors.affiliation: Vanderbilt-Ingram Cancer Center, Vanderbilt University Medical Center, Nashville, TN 37232 USA; Department of Cancer Biology, Vanderbilt University Medical Center, Nashville, TN 37232 USA; Department of Cell and Developmental Biology, Vanderbilt University Medical Center, Nashville, TN 37232 USA; Department of Pathology, Microbiology, and Immunology, Vanderbilt University Medical Center, Nashville, TN 37232 USA. Electronic address: alissa.weaver@vanderbilt.edu.
authors.forename: Alissa M
authors.initials: AM
authors.lastname: Weaver
mesh_terms: D005109:Extracellular Matrix / Q000473:pathology*; D006801:Humans; D040542:Mechanotransduction, Cellular; D008954:Models, Biological; D000069261:Podosomes / Q000473:pathology*; D059016:Tumor Microenvironment / Q000502:physiology*
keywords: Actin; Adhesion; Contractility; Extracellular matrix; Invadopodia; Invasion; Mechanotransduction; Proteinases; Secretion; Signaling