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Neutrophils collectively migrate to sites of injury and infection. How these swarms are coordinated to ensure the proper level of recruitment is unknown. Using an ex vivo model of infection, we show that human neutrophil swarming is organized by multiple pulsatile chemoattractant waves. These waves propagate through active relay in which stimulated neutrophils trigger their neighbors to release additional swarming cues. Unlike canonical active relays, we find these waves to be self-terminating, limiting the spatial range of cell recruitment. We identify an NADPH-oxidase-based negative feedback loop that is needed for this self-terminating behavior. We observe near-constant levels of neutrophil recruitment over a wide range of starting conditions, revealing surprising robustness in the swarming process. This homeostatic control is achieved by larger and more numerous swarming waves at lower cell densities. We link defective wave termination to a broken recruitment homeostat in the context of human chronic granulomatous disease.

The binding strength between epithelial cells is crucial for tissue integrity, signal transduction and collective cell dynamics. However, there is no experimental approach to precisely modulate cell-cell adhesion strength at the cellular and molecular level. Here, we establish DNA nanotechnology as a tool to control cell-cell adhesion of epithelial cells. We designed a DNA-E-cadherin hybrid system consisting of complementary DNA strands covalently bound to a truncated E-cadherin with a modified extracellular domain. DNA sequence design allows to tune the DNA-E-cadherin hybrid molecular binding strength, while retaining its cytosolic interactions and downstream signaling capabilities. The DNA-E-cadherin hybrid facilitates strong and reversible cell-cell adhesion in E-cadherin deficient cells by forming mechanotransducive adherens junctions. We assess the direct influence of cell-cell adhesion strength on intracellular signaling and collective cell dynamics. This highlights the scope of DNA nanotechnology as a precision technology to study and engineer cell collectives., QC 20230612

The conversion of mechanical stimuli into biochemical signals plays an integral role in regulating physiology and homeostasis. Cells utilize several specialized proteins to translate these mechanical forces into intracellular signaling. Of these, the mechanically-activated ion channel PIEZO1 has emerged as a key mechanosensor regulating a range of biological processes occurring in a variety of cell types. Despite the observed importance of PIEZO1, the mechanisms by which PIEZO1 is activated under native cellular contexts and scales to control physiologically important phenomena are largely unknown. Within this dissertation, I describe my efforts to fill this gap within the scientific literature by contributing towards the development of novel microscopy-based techniques and accompanying bioimage analyses which can be implemented to study PIEZO1 activity under endogenous cellular conditions. In Chapter 2, we find that mechanical forces initiated by cell generated, or Myosin II-based, traction forces are able to activate nearby PIEZO1 channels. Given that cell generated forces play a central role during cell migration we then asked whether PIEZO1 may regulate the migration of keratinocytes, the predominant cell type of the epidermis, during wound healing. Within Chapter 3, we show through molecular, cellular and organismal studies that PIEZO1 plays a regulatory role during keratinocyte migration and wound healing. Epidermal-specific Piezo1 knockout mice exhibited faster wound closure while gain-of-function mice displayed slower wound closure compared to littermate controls. By imaging the spatiotemporal localization dynamics of endogenous PIEZO1 channels we find that channel enrichment at regions along the wound edge induces a localized cellular retraction that slows the wound closure process. Efficient wound closure is driven by the formation of specialized cells called leader cells which transmit mechanical and biochemical cues to ensuing follower cells, ensuring th

Epithelial-mesenchymal transition (EMT) is a reversible cellular program that transiently places epithelial (E) cells into pseudo-mesenchymal (M) cell states. The malignant progression and resistance of many carcinomas depend on EMT activation, partial EMT, or hybrid E/M status in neoplastic cells. EMT is activated by tumor microenvironmental TGF beta signal and EMT-inducing transcription factors, such as ZEB1/2, in tumor cells. However, reverse EMT factors are less studied. We demonstrate that prostate epithelial transcription factor SCAND1 can reverse the cancer cell mesenchymal and hybrid E/M phenotypes to a more epithelial, less invasive status and inhibit their proliferation and migration in DU-145 prostate cancer cells. SCAND1 is a SCAN domain-containing protein and hetero-oligomerizes with SCAN-zinc finger transcription factors, such as MZF1, for accessing DNA and the transcriptional co-repression of target genes. We found that SCAND1 expression correlated with maintaining epithelial features, whereas the loss of SCAND1 was associated with mesenchymal phenotypes of tumor cells. SCAND1 and MZF1 were mutually inducible and coordinately included in chromatin with hetero-chromatin protein HP1 gamma. The overexpression of SCAND1 reversed hybrid E/M status into an epithelial phenotype with E-cadherin and beta-catenin relocation. Consistently, the co-expression analysis in TCGA PanCancer Atlas revealed that SCAND1 and MZF1 expression was negatively correlated with EMT driver genes, including CTNNB1, ZEB1, ZEB2 and TGFBRs, in prostate adenocarcinoma specimens. In addition, SCAND1 overexpression suppressed tumor cell proliferation by reducing the MAP3K-MEK-ERK signaling pathway. Of note, in a mouse tumor xenograft model, SCAND1 overexpression significantly reduced Ki-67(+) and Vimentin(+) tumor cells and inhibited migration and lymph node metastasis of prostate cancer. Kaplan-Meier analysis showed high expression of SCAND1 and MZF1 to correlate with better prognoses i

Epithelial-mesenchymal transition (EMT) is a reversible cellular program that transiently places epithelial (E) cells into pseudo-mesenchymal (M) cell states. The malignant progression and resistance of many carcinomas depend on EMT activation, partial EMT, or hybrid E/M status in neoplastic cells. EMT is activated by tumor microenvironmental TGF beta signal and EMT-inducing transcription factors, such as ZEB1/2, in tumor cells. However, reverse EMT factors are less studied. We demonstrate that prostate epithelial transcription factor SCAND1 can reverse the cancer cell mesenchymal and hybrid E/M phenotypes to a more epithelial, less invasive status and inhibit their proliferation and migration in DU-145 prostate cancer cells. SCAND1 is a SCAN domain-containing protein and hetero-oligomerizes with SCAN-zinc finger transcription factors, such as MZF1, for accessing DNA and the transcriptional co-repression of target genes. We found that SCAND1 expression correlated with maintaining epithelial features, whereas the loss of SCAND1 was associated with mesenchymal phenotypes of tumor cells. SCAND1 and MZF1 were mutually inducible and coordinately included in chromatin with hetero-chromatin protein HP1 gamma. The overexpression of SCAND1 reversed hybrid E/M status into an epithelial phenotype with E-cadherin and beta-catenin relocation. Consistently, the co-expression analysis in TCGA PanCancer Atlas revealed that SCAND1 and MZF1 expression was negatively correlated with EMT driver genes, including CTNNB1, ZEB1, ZEB2 and TGFBRs, in prostate adenocarcinoma specimens. In addition, SCAND1 overexpression suppressed tumor cell proliferation by reducing the MAP3K-MEK-ERK signaling pathway. Of note, in a mouse tumor xenograft model, SCAND1 overexpression significantly reduced Ki-67(+) and Vimentin(+) tumor cells and inhibited migration and lymph node metastasis of prostate cancer. Kaplan-Meier analysis showed high expression of SCAND1 and MZF1 to correlate with better prognoses i

Keratinocytes, the predominant cell type of the epidermis, migrate to reinstate the epithelial barrier during wound healing. Mechanical cues are known to regulate keratinocyte re-epithelialization and wound healing; however, the underlying molecular transducers and biophysical mechanisms remain elusive. Here, we show through molecular, cellular, and organismal studies that the mechanically activated ion channel PIEZO1 regulates keratinocyte migration and wound healing. Epidermal-specific Piezo1 knockout mice exhibited faster wound closure while gain-of-function mice displayed slower wound closure compared to littermate controls. By imaging the spatiotemporal localization dynamics of endogenous PIEZO1 channels, we find that channel enrichment at some regions of the wound edge induces a localized cellular retraction that slows keratinocyte collective migration. In migrating single keratinocytes, PIEZO1 is enriched at the rear of the cell, where maximal retraction occurs, and we find that chemical activation of PIEZO1 enhances retraction during single as well as collective migration. Our findings uncover novel molecular mechanisms underlying single and collective keratinocyte migration that may suggest a potential pharmacological target for wound treatment. More broadly, we show that nanoscale spatiotemporal dynamics of Piezo1 channels can control tissue-scale events, a finding with implications beyond wound healing to processes as diverse as development, homeostasis, disease, and repair.

Keratinocytes, the predominant cell type of the epidermis, migrate to reinstate the epithelial barrier during wound healing. Mechanical cues are known to regulate keratinocyte re-epithelialization and wound healing; however, the underlying molecular transducers and biophysical mechanisms remain elusive. Here, we show through molecular, cellular, and organismal studies that the mechanically activated ion channel PIEZO1 regulates keratinocyte migration and wound healing. Epidermal-specific Piezo1 knockout mice exhibited faster wound closure while gain-of-function mice displayed slower wound closure compared to littermate controls. By imaging the spatiotemporal localization dynamics of endogenous PIEZO1 channels, we find that channel enrichment at some regions of the wound edge induces a localized cellular retraction that slows keratinocyte collective migration. In migrating single keratinocytes, PIEZO1 is enriched at the rear of the cell, where maximal retraction occurs, and we find that chemical activation of PIEZO1 enhances retraction during single as well as collective migration. Our findings uncover novel molecular mechanisms underlying single and collective keratinocyte migration that may suggest a potential pharmacological target for wound treatment. More broadly, we show that nanoscale spatiotemporal dynamics of Piezo1 channels can control tissue-scale events, a finding with implications beyond wound healing to processes as diverse as development, homeostasis, disease, and repair.

Collective migration is essential for development, wound repair, and cancer metastasis. For most collective systems, "leader cells" determine both the direction and the power of the migration. It has remained unclear, however, how the highly polarized vertebrate epithelium migrates directionally during branching morphogenesis. We show here that, unlike in other systems, front-rear polarity of the mammary epithelium is set up by preferential cell proliferation in the front in response to the FGF10 gradient. This leads to frontal stratification, loss of apicobasal polarity, and leader cell formation. Leader cells are a dynamic population and move faster and more directionally toward the FGF10 signal than do follower cells, partly because of their intraepithelial protrusions toward the signal. Together, our data show that directional migration of the mammary epithelium is a unique multistep process and that, despite sharing remarkable cellular and molecular similarities, vertebrate and invertebrate epithelial branching are fundamentally distinct processes.

Collective migration is essential for development, wound repair, and cancer metastasis. For most collective systems, "leader cells" determine both the direction and the power of the migration. It has remained unclear, however, how the highly polarized vertebrate epithelium migrates directionally during branching morphogenesis. We show here that, unlike in other systems, front-rear polarity of the mammary epithelium is set up by preferential cell proliferation in the front in response to the FGF10 gradient. This leads to frontal stratification, loss of apicobasal polarity, and leader cell formation. Leader cells are a dynamic population and move faster and more directionally toward the FGF10 signal than do follower cells, partly because of their intraepithelial protrusions toward the signal. Together, our data show that directional migration of the mammary epithelium is a unique multistep process and that, despite sharing remarkable cellular and molecular similarities, vertebrate and invertebrate epithelial branching are fundamentally distinct processes.

Cancer metastasis, the spread of cancer to distant organs, is the major cause of cancerrelated mortality. Hence, understanding the mechanisms underlying cancer metastasis is crucial to improve clinical interventions. Despite intensive efforts, the driving mechanisms remain ill-understood due to the difficulties posed by studying the different steps of the metastatic cascade in patients. Two established models have been proposed to underlie the driving mechanisms of metastasis are phenotypic plasticity and collective migration. Phenotypic plasticity, i.e. the capacity of the migrating cancer cell to adapt to the different cellular contexts that it encounters en route to form a metastasis, revolves around reversable transitions from epithelial to mesenchymal (EMT and MET) identities. The collective migration model denotes migrating cancer cells can overcome barriers by coordinated cooperation. Recently, these views have been integrated in a model where partial (EMT) is believed to mediate collective migration. Here, we will investigate critical assumptions of this integrated model by focusing on different steps along the invasion-metastasis cascade. Using an unsupervised approach based on complete transcriptomes, we unravel single cell EMT-related transcriptional differences in colorectal cancer cell lines and map different phenotypes on the EMT spectrum to identify E/M sub-states that might underlie collective invasion. Next, we have developed and evaluated 3D collagen models to facilitate collective migration studies both in vitro and ex vivo. Preliminary data obtained using this approach highlights how EMT induction can alter the dominating tumor migration type. Taken together, our results support a case for phenotypic plasticity and collective migration as complementary and functionally correlated mechanisms, and could serve as point of engagement for further studies aimed at clarifying the role of partial EMT in collective migration., Applied Sciences | Nanobiology

Cancer metastasis, the spread of cancer to distant organs, is the major cause of cancerrelated mortality. Hence, understanding the mechanisms underlying cancer metastasis is crucial to improve clinical interventions. Despite intensive efforts, the driving mechanisms remain ill-understood due to the difficulties posed by studying the different steps of the metastatic cascade in patients. Two established models have been proposed to underlie the driving mechanisms of metastasis are phenotypic plasticity and collective migration. Phenotypic plasticity, i.e. the capacity of the migrating cancer cell to adapt to the different cellular contexts that it encounters en route to form a metastasis, revolves around reversable transitions from epithelial to mesenchymal (EMT and MET) identities. The collective migration model denotes migrating cancer cells can overcome barriers by coordinated cooperation. Recently, these views have been integrated in a model where partial (EMT) is believed to mediate collective migration. Here, we will investigate critical assumptions of this integrated model by focusing on different steps along the invasion-metastasis cascade. Using an unsupervised approach based on complete transcriptomes, we unravel single cell EMT-related transcriptional differences in colorectal cancer cell lines and map different phenotypes on the EMT spectrum to identify E/M sub-states that might underlie collective invasion. Next, we have developed and evaluated 3D collagen models to facilitate collective migration studies both in vitro and ex vivo. Preliminary data obtained using this approach highlights how EMT induction can alter the dominating tumor migration type. Taken together, our results support a case for phenotypic plasticity and collective migration as complementary and functionally correlated mechanisms, and could serve as point of engagement for further studies aimed at clarifying the role of partial EMT in collective migration., Applied Sciences | Nanobiology

Tumorigenesis is increasingly considered to rely on subclones of cells poised to undergo an epithelial to mesenchymal transition (EMT) program. We and others have provided evidence, however, that the tumorigenesis of human breast cancer is not always restricted to typical EMT cells but is also somewhat paradoxically conveyed by subclones of apparently differentiated, non-EMT cells. Here we characterize such non-EMT-like and EMT-like subclones. Through a loss-of-function screen we found that a member of the E3 ubiquitin ligase complexes, FBXO11, specifically fuels tumor formation of a non-EMT-like clone by restraining the p53/p21 pathway. Interestingly, in the related EMT-like clone, FBXO11 operates through the BCL2 pathway with little or no impact on tumorigenesis. These data command caution in attempts to assess tumorigenesis prospectively based on EMT profiling, and they emphasize the importance of next generation subtyping of tumors, that is at the level of clonal composition.

Tumorigenesis is increasingly considered to rely on subclones of cells poised to undergo an epithelial to mesenchymal transition (EMT) program. We and others have provided evidence, however, that the tumorigenesis of human breast cancer is not always restricted to typical EMT cells but is also somewhat paradoxically conveyed by subclones of apparently differentiated, non-EMT cells. Here we characterize such non-EMT-like and EMT-like subclones. Through a loss-of-function screen we found that a member of the E3 ubiquitin ligase complexes, FBXO11, specifically fuels tumor formation of a non-EMT-like clone by restraining the p53/p21 pathway. Interestingly, in the related EMT-like clone, FBXO11 operates through the BCL2 pathway with little or no impact on tumorigenesis. These data command caution in attempts to assess tumorigenesis prospectively based on EMT profiling, and they emphasize the importance of next generation subtyping of tumors, that is at the level of clonal composition.

The scratch or wound-healing assay is used ubiquitously for investigating re-epithelialisation and has already revealed the importance of cells comprising the leading edge of healing epithelial wounds. However it is currently limited to studying the effect of known biochemical agents on the tissue of choice. Here we present an adaptation that extends the utility of this model to encompass the collection of cells from the leading edge of migrating epithelial sheets making available explorative biochemical analyses. The method is scalable and does not require expensive apparatus, making it suitable for large and small laboratories alike. We detail the application of our method and exemplify proof of principle data derived from primary human keratinocyte cultures.

Cell migration plays an important role in a wide variety of biological processes and can incorporate both individual cell motion and collective behavior. The emergent properties of collective migration are receiving increasing attention as collective motion’s role in diseases such as metastatic cancer becomes clear. Yet, how individual cell behavior influences large-scale, multi-cell collective motion remains unclear. In our study, we provided insight into the mechanisms behind collective migration by studying cell migration in a spreading monolayer of epithelial MCF10A cells. We quantify migration using particle image velocimetry and find that cell groups have features of motion that span multiple length scales. Comparing our experimental results to a model of collective cell migration, we find that cell migration within the monolayer can be affected in qualitatively different ways by cell motion at the boundary, yet it is not necessary to introduce leader cells at the boundary or specify other large-scale features to recapitulate this large-scale phenotype in simulations. Instead, in our model, collective motion can be enhanced by increasing the overall activity of the cells or by giving the cells a stronger coupling between their motion and polarity. This suggests that investigating the activity and polarity persistence of individual cells will add insight into the collective migration phenotypes observed during development and disease. This dataset provides microscopy images and analysis to support the article in the Journal of the Royal Society Interface (doi 10.1098/rsif.2017.0147) describing these migration behaviors.

Cell migration plays an important role in a wide variety of biological processes and can incorporate both individual cell motion and collective behavior. The emergent properties of collective migration are receiving increasing attention as collective motion’s role in diseases such as metastatic cancer becomes clear. Yet, how individual cell behavior influences large-scale, multi-cell collective motion remains unclear. In our study, we provided insight into the mechanisms behind collective migration by studying cell migration in a spreading monolayer of epithelial MCF10A cells. We quantify migration using particle image velocimetry and find that cell groups have features of motion that span multiple length scales. Comparing our experimental results to a model of collective cell migration, we find that cell migration within the monolayer can be affected in qualitatively different ways by cell motion at the boundary, yet it is not necessary to introduce leader cells at the boundary or specify other large-scale features to recapitulate this large-scale phenotype in simulations. Instead, in our model, collective motion can be enhanced by increasing the overall activity of the cells or by giving the cells a stronger coupling between their motion and polarity. This suggests that investigating the activity and polarity persistence of individual cells will add insight into the collective migration phenotypes observed during development and disease. This dataset provides microscopy images and analysis to support the article in the Journal of the Royal Society Interface (doi 10.1098/rsif.2017.0147) describing these migration behaviors.

Cell migration plays an important role in a wide variety of biological processes and can incorporate both individual cell motion and collective behaviour. The emergent properties of collective migration are receiving increasing attention as collective motions role in diseases such as metastatic cancer becomes clear. Yet, how individual cell behaviour influences large-scale, multi-cell collective motion remains unclear. In this study, we provide insight into the mechanisms behind collective migration by studying cell migration in a spreading monolayer of epithelial MCF10A cells. We quantify migration using particle image velocimetry and find that cell groups have features of motion that span multiple length scales. Comparing our experimental results to a model of collective cell migration, we find that cell migration within the monolayer can be affected in qualitatively different ways by cell motion at the boundary, yet it is not necessary to introduce leader cells at the boundary or specify other large-scale features to recapitulate this large-scale phenotype in simulations. Instead, in our model, collective motion can be enhanced by increasing the overall activity of the cells or by giving the cells a stronger coupling between their motion and polarity. This suggests that investigating the activity and polarity persistence of individual cells will add insight into the collective migration phenotypes observed during development and disease.

Many organs are specified far from the location they occupy when functional, having to migrate long distances through the heterogeneous and dynamic environment of the early embryo. We study the formation of the main Drosophila endocrine organ, the ring gland, as a new model to investigate in vivo the genetic regulation of collective cell migration. The ring gland results from the fusion of three independent gland primordia that migrate from the head towards the anterior aorta as the embryo is experiencing major morphogenetic movements. To complete their long-range migration, the glands extend filopodia moving sequentially towards a nearby intermediate target and from there to more distal ones. Thus, the apparent long-range migration is composed of several short-range migratory steps that facilitate reaching the final destination. We find that the target tissues react to the gland's proximity by sending filopodia towards it. Our finding of a succession of independent migration stages is consistent with the stepwise evolution of ring gland assembly and fits with the observed gland locations found in extant crustaceans, basal insects and flies.

A cell's ability to sense and respond to mechanical signals highlights the significance of physical forces in biology; however, to date most biomedical research has focused on genetics and biochemical signaling. We sought to further understand the physical mechanisms that guide the cellular migrations that occur in a number of biological processes, such as tissue development and regeneration, bacterial infections and cancer metastasis. We investigated the migration of single cells and determined whether the biomechanics of these cells could be used to elucidate multi-cellular mechanisms. We first studied Borrelia burgdorferi (Bb), the bacterium that causes Lyme disease. We created a mathematical model based on the mechanical interactions between the flagella and cell body that explained the rotation and undulation of the cell body that occurs as the bacterium swims. This model further predicts how the swimming dynamics could be affected by alterations in flagellar or cell wall stiffnesses. Fitting the model to experimental data allowed us to calculate the flagellar torque and drag for Bb, and showed that Treponema pallidum (Tp), the syphilis pathogen, is biomechanically similar to Bb. Next, we used experimentally-determined parameters of Bb's motility to develop a population-level model that accounts for the morphology and spreading of the "bulls-eye" rash that is typically the first indicator of Lyme disease. This work supported clinical findings on the efficacy of antibiotic treatment regimes. Finally, we investigated the dynamics of epithelial monolayers. We found that intracellular contractile stress is the primary driving force behind collective dynamics in epithelial layers, a result previously predicted from a biophysical model. Taken together, these findings identify the relevance of physics in cellular migration and a role of mechanical signaling in biomedical science.

During embryonic morphogenesis, wound repair and cancer invasion, cells often migrate collectively via tight cell-cell junctions, a process named collective migration. During such migration, cells move as coherent groups, large cell sheets, strands or tubes rather than individually. One unexpected finding regarding collective cell migration is that being a "multicellular structure" enables cells to better respond to chemical and physical cues, when compared with isolated cells. This is important because epithelial cells heal wounds via the migration of large sheets of cells with tight intercellular connections. Recent studies have gained some mechanistic insights that will benefit the clinical understanding of wound healing in general. In this review, we will briefly introduce the role of collective cell migration in wound healing, regeneration and cancer invasion and discuss its underlying mechanisms as well as implications for wound healing.

During embryonic morphogenesis, wound repair and cancer invasion, cells often migrate collectively via tight cell-cell junctions, a process named collective migration. During such migration, cells move as coherent groups, large cell sheets, strands or tubes rather than individually. One unexpected finding regarding collective cell migration is that being a "multicellular structure" enables cells to better respond to chemical and physical cues, when compared with isolated cells. This is important because epithelial cells heal wounds via the migration of large sheets of cells with tight intercellular connections. Recent studies have gained some mechanistic insights that will benefit the clinical understanding of wound healing in general. In this review, we will briefly introduce the role of collective cell migration in wound healing, regeneration and cancer invasion and discuss its underlying mechanisms as well as implications for wound healing.

The epithelial to mesenchymal transition (EMT) converts epithelial cells into migratory and invasive cells and is a fundamental event in morphogenesis. Although its relevance in the progression of cancer and organ fibrosis had been debated until recently, the EMT is now established as an important step in the metastatic cascade of epithelial tumors. The similarities between pathological and developmental EMTs validate the embryo as the best model to understand the molecular and cellular mechanisms involved in this process, identifying those that are hijacked during the progression of cancer and organ degeneration. Our ever-increasing understanding of how transcription factors regulate the EMT has revealed complex regulatory loops coupled to posttranscriptional and epigenetic regulatory programs. The EMT is now integrated into the systemic activities of whole organisms, establishing links with cell survival, stemness, inflammation, and immunity. In addition, the EMT now constitutes a promising target for the treatment of cancer and organ-degenerative diseases.