The role of vimentin in regulating cell-invasive migration in dense cultures of breast carcinoma cells

TL;DR

This study investigates how vimentin influences cell mechanics and migration in dense breast carcinoma cultures, revealing its role in stiffening cells and promoting invasive migration through cell-cell interactions.

Contribution

It uncovers the specific effect of vimentin on cell stiffness and migration in dense cultures, highlighting the importance of cell-cell interactions in cancer cell invasion.

Findings

Vimentin stiffens breast carcinoma cells.

Vimentin enhances migration in dense cultures.

Vimentin has little effect on sparse cell migration.

Abstract

Cell migration and mechanics are tightly regulated by the integrated activities of the various cytoskeletal networks. In cancer cells, cytoskeletal modulations have been implicated in the loss of tissue integrity, and acquisition of an invasive phenotype. In epithelial cancers, for example, increased expression of the cytoskeletal filament protein vimentin correlates with metastatic potential. Nonetheless, the exact mechanism whereby vimentin affects cell motility remains poorly understood. In this study, we measured the effects of vimentin expression on the mechano-elastic and migratory properties of the highly invasive breast carcinoma cell line MDA231. We demonstrate here that vimentin stiffens cells and enhances cell migration in dense cultures, but exerts little or no effect on the migration of sparsely plated cells. These results suggest that cell-cell interactions play a key role in regulating cell migration, and coordinating cell movement in dense cultures. Our findings pave the way towards understanding the relationship between cell migration and mechanics, in a biologically relevant context.