title: A common framework for EMT and collective cell migration.
abstract: During development, cells often switch between static and migratory behaviours. Such transitions are fundamental events in development and are linked to harmful consequences in pathology. It has long been considered that epithelial cells either migrate collectively as epithelial cells, or undergo an epithelial-to-mesenchymal transition and migrate as individual mesenchymal cells. Here, we assess what is currently known about in vivo cell migratory phenomena and hypothesise that such migratory behaviours do not fit into alternative and mutually exclusive categories. Rather, we propose that these categories can be viewed as the most extreme cases of a general continuum of morphological variety, with cells harbouring different degrees or combinations of epithelial and mesenchymal features and displaying an array of migratory behaviours.
authors.affiliation: Institut de Biologia Molecular de Barcelona (CSIC), C/Baldiri Reixac 10, Barcelona, Catalonia 08028, Spain kyra.campbell@irbbarcelona.org jcrbmc@ibmb.csic.es.|Institut de Recerca Biomèdica de Barcelona, C/Baldiri Reixac 10, Barcelona, Catalonia 08028, Spain.
authors.forename: Kyra
authors.initials: K
authors.lastname: Campbell
authors.affiliation: Institut de Biologia Molecular de Barcelona (CSIC), C/Baldiri Reixac 10, Barcelona, Catalonia 08028, Spain kyra.campbell@irbbarcelona.org jcrbmc@ibmb.csic.es.|Institut de Recerca Biomèdica de Barcelona, C/Baldiri Reixac 10, Barcelona, Catalonia 08028, Spain.
authors.forename: Jordi
authors.identifier: 0000-0001-6121-8589
authors.initials: J
authors.lastname: Casanova
mesh_terms: D022005:Adherens Junctions / Q000502:physiology; D000818:Animals; D015820:Cadherins / Q000378:metabolism; D002448:Cell Adhesion / Q000502:physiology; D002465:Cell Movement / Q000502:physiology*; D047108:Embryonic Development / Q000502:physiology; D004847:Epithelial Cells / Q000502:physiology*; D058750:Epithelial-Mesenchymal Transition / Q000502:physiology*; D006801:Humans; D059630:Mesenchymal Stem Cells / Q000502:physiology*; D008648:Mesoderm / Q000166:cytology / Q000502:physiology; D009362:Neoplasm Metastasis / Q000473:pathology*; D009369:Neoplasms / Q000473:pathology*
chemical_list: D015820:Cadherins
keywords: Collective migration; EMT; Epithelial; Mesenchymal