WAVE2- and microtubule-dependent formation of long protrusions and invasion of cancer cells cultured on three-dimensional extracellular matrices

Long Prehensile Protrusions Can Facilitate Cancer Cell Invasion through the Basement Membrane

A basic process in cancer is the breaching of basement-membrane barriers to permit tissue invasion. Cancer cells can use proteases and physical mechanisms to produce initial holes in basement membranes, but how cells squeeze through this barrier into matrix environments is not well understood. We used a 3D invasion model consisting of cancer-cell spheroids encapsulated by a basement membrane and embedded in collagen to characterize the dynamic early steps in cancer-cell invasion across this barrier. We demonstrate that certain cancer cells extend exceptionally long (~30-100 μm) protrusions through basement membranes via actin and microtubule cytoskeletal function. These long protrusions use integrin adhesion and myosin II-based contractility to pull cells through the basement membrane for initial invasion. Concurrently, these long, organelle-rich protrusions pull surrounding collagen inward while propelling cancer cells outward through perforations in the basement-membrane barrier. These exceptionally long, contractile cellular protrusions can facilitate the breaching of the basement-membrane barrier as a first step in cancer metastasis.

Small extracellular vesicles promote invadopodia activity in glioblastoma cells in a therapy-dependent manner

PURPOSE

The therapeutic efficacy of radiotherapy/temozolomide treatment for glioblastoma (GBM) is limited by the augmented invasiveness mediated by invadopodia activity of surviving GBM cells. As yet, however the underlying mechanisms remain poorly understood. Due to their ability to transport oncogenic material between cells, small extracellular vesicles (sEVs) have emerged as key mediators of tumour progression. We hypothesize that the sustained growth and invasion of cancer cells depends on bidirectional sEV-mediated cell-cell communication.

METHODS

Invadopodia assays and zymography gels were used to examine the invadopodia activity capacity of GBM cells. Differential ultracentrifugation was utilized to isolate sEVs from conditioned medium and proteomic analyses were conducted on both GBM cell lines and their sEVs to determine the cargo present within the sEVs. In addition, the impact of radiotherapy and temozolomide treatment of GBM cells was studied.

RESULTS

We found that GBM cells form active invadopodia and secrete sEVs containing the matrix metalloproteinase MMP-2. Subsequent proteomic studies revealed the presence of an invadopodia-related protein sEV cargo and that sEVs from highly invadopodia active GBM cells (LN229) increase invadopodia activity in sEV recipient GBM cells. We also found that GBM cells displayed increases in invadopodia activity and sEV secretion post radiation/temozolomide treatment. Together, these data reveal a relationship between invadopodia and sEV composition/secretion/uptake in promoting the invasiveness of GBM cells.

CONCLUSIONS

Our data indicate that sEVs secreted by GBM cells can facilitate tumour invasion by promoting invadopodia activity in recipient cells, which may be enhanced by treatment with radio-chemotherapy. The transfer of pro-invasive cargos may yield important insights into the functional capacity of sEVs in invadopodia.

Engine shutdown: migrastatic strategies and prevention of metastases

Most cancer-related deaths among patients with solid tumors are caused by metastases. Migrastatic strategies represent a unique therapeutic approach to prevent all forms of cancer cell migration and invasion. Because the migration machinery has been shown to promote metastatic dissemination, successful migrastatic therapy may reduce the need for high-dose cytotoxic therapies that are currently used to prevent the risk of metastatic dissemination. In this review we focus on anti-invasive and antimetastatic strategies that hold promise for the treatment of solid tumors. The best targets for migrastatic therapy would be those that are required by all forms of motility, such as ATP availability, mitochondrial metabolism, and cytoskeletal dynamics and cell contractility.

The emerging role of microtubules in invasion plasticity

The ability of cells to switch between different invasive modes during metastasis, also known as invasion plasticity, is an important characteristic of tumor cells that makes them able to resist treatment targeted to a particular invasion mode. Due to the rapid changes in cell morphology during the transition between mesenchymal and amoeboid invasion, it is evident that this process requires remodeling of the cytoskeleton. Although the role of the actin cytoskeleton in cell invasion and plasticity is already quite well described, the contribution of microtubules is not yet fully clarified. It is not easy to infer whether destabilization of microtubules leads to higher invasiveness or the opposite since the complex microtubular network acts differently in diverse invasive modes. While mesenchymal migration typically requires microtubules at the leading edge of migrating cells to stabilize protrusions and form adhesive structures, amoeboid invasion is possible even in the absence of long, stable microtubules, albeit there are also cases of amoeboid cells where microtubules contribute to effective migration. Moreover, complex crosstalk of microtubules with other cytoskeletal networks participates in invasion regulation. Altogether, microtubules play an important role in tumor cell plasticity and can be therefore targeted to affect not only cell proliferation but also invasive properties of migrating cells.

c-Src-mediated phosphorylation and activation of kinesin KIF1C promotes elongation of invadopodia in cancer cells

Invadopodia on cancer cells play crucial roles in tumor invasion and metastasis by degrading and remodeling the surrounding extracellular matrices (ECM) and driving cell migration in complex three-dimensional environments. Previous studies have indicated that microtubules (MTs) play a crucial role in elongation of invadopodia, but not their formation, probably by regulating delivery of membrane and secretory proteins within invadopodia. However, the identity of the responsible MT-based molecular motors and their regulation has been elusive. Here, we show that KIF1C, a member of kinesin-3 family, is localized to the tips of invadopodia and is required for their elongation and the invasion of cancer cells. We also found that c-Src phosphorylates tyrosine residues within the stalk domain of KIF1C, thereby enhancing its association with tyrosine phosphatase PTPD1, that in turn activates MT-binding ability of KIF1C, probably by relieving the autoinhibitory interaction between its motor and stalk domains. These findings shed new insights into how c-Src signaling is coupled to the MT-dependent dynamic nature of invadopodia, and also advance our understanding of the mechanism of KIF1C activation through release of its autoinhibition.

Tubulin Carboxypeptidase Activity Promotes Focal Gelatin Degradation in Breast Tumor Cells and Induces Apoptosis in Breast Epithelial Cells That Is Overcome by Oncogenic Signaling

Post-translational modifications (PTMs) of the microtubule network impart differential functions across normal cell types and their cancerous counterparts. The removal of the C-terminal tyrosine of α-tubulin (deTyr-Tub) as performed by the tubulin carboxypeptidase (TCP) is of particular interest in breast epithelial and breast cancer cells. The recent discovery of the genetic identity of the TCP to be a vasohibin (VASH1/2) coupled with a small vasohibin-binding protein (SVBP) allows for the functional effect of this tubulin PTM to be directly tested for the first time. Our studies revealed the immortalized breast epithelial cell line MCF10A undergoes apoptosis following transfection with TCP constructs, but the addition of oncogenic KRas or Bcl-2/Bcl-xL overexpression prevents subsequent apoptotic induction in the MCF10A background. Functionally, an increase in deTyr-Tub via TCP transfection in MDA-MB-231 and Hs578t breast cancer cells leads to enhanced focal gelatin degradation. Given the elevated deTyr-Tub at invasive tumor fronts and the correlation with poor breast cancer survival, these new discoveries help clarify how the TCP synergizes with oncogene activation, increases focal gelatin degradation, and may correspond to increased tumor cell invasion. These connections could inform more specific microtubule-directed therapies to target deTyr-tubulin.

Decoding Single Cell Morphology in Osteotropic Breast Cancer Cells for Dissecting Their Migratory, Molecular and Biophysical Heterogeneity

Breast cancer is a heterogeneous disease and the mechanistic framework for differential osteotropism among intrinsic breast cancer subtypes is unknown. Hypothesizing that cell morphology could be an integrated readout for the functional state of a cancer cell, we established a catalogue of the migratory, molecular and biophysical traits of MDA-MB-231 breast cancer cells, compared it with two enhanced bone-seeking derivative cell lines and integrated these findings with single cell morphology profiles. Such knowledge could be essential for predicting metastatic capacities in breast cancer. High-resolution microscopy revealed a heterogeneous and specific spectrum of single cell morphologies in bone-seeking cells, which correlated with differential migration and stiffness. While parental MDA-MB-231 cells showed long and dynamic membrane protrusions and were enriched in motile cells with continuous and mesenchymal cell migration, bone-seeking cells appeared with discontinuous mesenchymal or amoeboid-like migration. Although non-responsive to CXCL12, bone-seeking cells responded to epidermal growth factor with a morphotype shift and differential expression of genes controlling cell shape and directional migration. Hence, single cell morphology encodes the molecular, migratory and biophysical architecture of breast cancer cells and is specifically altered among osteotropic phenotypes. Quantitative morpho-profiling could aid in dissecting breast cancer heterogeneity and in refining clinically relevant intrinsic breast cancer subtypes.

Microtubule Targeting Agents in Disease: Classic Drugs, Novel Roles

Microtubule-targeting agents (MTAs) represent one of the most successful first-line therapies prescribed for cancer treatment. They interfere with microtubule (MT) dynamics by either stabilizing or destabilizing MTs, and in culture, they are believed to kill cells via apoptosis after eliciting mitotic arrest, among other mechanisms. This classical view of MTA therapies persisted for many years. However, the limited success of drugs specifically targeting mitotic proteins, and the slow growing rate of most human tumors forces a reevaluation of the mechanism of action of MTAs. Studies from the last decade suggest that the killing efficiency of MTAs arises from a combination of interphase and mitotic effects. Moreover, MTs have also been implicated in other therapeutically relevant activities, such as decreasing angiogenesis, blocking cell migration, reducing metastasis, and activating innate immunity to promote proinflammatory responses. Two key problems associated with MTA therapy are acquired drug resistance and systemic toxicity. Accordingly, novel and effective MTAs are being designed with an eye toward reducing toxicity without compromising efficacy or promoting resistance. Here, we will review the mechanism of action of MTAs, the signaling pathways they affect, their impact on cancer and other illnesses, and the promising new therapeutic applications of these classic drugs.

Ion channels as key partners of cytoskeleton in cancer disease

Several processes occur during tumor development including changes in cell morphology, a reorganization of the expression and distribution of the cytoskeleton proteins as well as ion channels. If cytoskeleton proteins and ion channels have been widely investigated in understanding cancer mechanisms, the interaction between these two elements and the identification of the associated signaling pathways are only beginning to emerge. In this review, we summarize the work published over the past 15 years relating to the roles played by ion channels in these mechanisms of reorganization of the cellular morphology, essential to metastatic dissemination, both through the physical interactions with elements of the cytoskeleton and by intracellular signaling pathways involved.

Targeting SNARE-Mediated Vesicle Transport to Block Invadopodium-Based Cancer Cell Invasion

During metastasis, cancer cells can invade extracellular matrix (ECM) through a process mediated by matrix-degrading protrusions of the plasma membrane, termed invadopodia. Formation of invadopodia correlates with cells’ invasive and metastatic potential, and thus presents a potential target for therapeutic approaches to target metastatic progression. Invadopodia formation is dependent on the recruitment of proteins involved in intracellular signaling, actin cytoskeleton remodeling, and proteolytic matrix modification. The latter includes matrix degrading enzymes such as MT1-MMP, MMP2, and MMP9. These essential invadopodium-associated enzymes are required for localized matrix degradation, and their localization at invadopodia is central to invadopodium-based cancer cell invasion. Soluble N-ethylmaleimide-sensitive factor attachment protein receptors (SNAREs) facilitate intracellular vesicle traffic, including that involved in the transport of invadopodium-associated proteins, and in so doing promote modification of ECM and modulation of signaling pathways involved in the movement of cancer cells. Specific SNARE complexes have been found to support invadopodia formation, and these complexes are, in turn, regulated by associated proteins that interact specifically with SNAREs. Targeting SNARE regulatory proteins thus provides a possible approach to disrupt SNARE-dependent delivery of invadopodial proteins, including MT1-MMP, to sites of ECM modification. Here, we review recent studies of SNARE regulators that hold potential as targets for the development of anti-metastatic therapies for patients burdened with invadopodia-forming cancer types.

The multiple roles of actin-binding proteins at invadopodia

Invadopodia are actin-rich membrane protrusions that facilitate cancer cell dissemination by focusing on proteolytic activity and clearing paths for migration through physical barriers, such as basement membranes, dense extracellular matrices, and endothelial cell junctions. Invadopodium formation and activity require spatially and temporally regulated changes in actin filament organization and dynamics. About three decades of research have led to a remarkable understanding of how these changes are orchestrated by sequential recruitment and coordinated activity of different sets of actin-binding proteins. In this chapter, we provide an update on the roles of the actin cytoskeleton during the main stages of invadopodium development with a particular focus on actin polymerization machineries and production of pushing forces driving extracellular matrix remodeling.

Protrudin-mediated ER-endosome contact sites promote MT1-MMP exocytosis and cell invasion

Cancer cells break tissue barriers by use of small actin-rich membrane protrusions called invadopodia. Complete invadopodia maturation depends on protrusion outgrowth and the targeted delivery of the matrix metalloproteinase MT1-MMP via endosomal transport by mechanisms that are not known. Here, we show that the ER protein Protrudin orchestrates invadopodia maturation and function. Protrudin formed contact sites with MT1-MMP-positive endosomes that contained the RAB7-binding Kinesin-1 adaptor FYCO1, and depletion of RAB7, FYCO1, or Protrudin inhibited MT1-MMP-dependent extracellular matrix degradation and cancer cell invasion by preventing anterograde translocation and exocytosis of MT1-MMP. Moreover, when endosome translocation or exocytosis was inhibited by depletion of Protrudin or Synaptotagmin VII, respectively, invadopodia were unable to expand and elongate. Conversely, when Protrudin was overexpressed, noncancerous cells developed prominent invadopodia-like protrusions and showed increased matrix degradation and invasion. Thus, Protrudin-mediated ER-endosome contact sites promote cell invasion by facilitating translocation of MT1-MMP-laden endosomes to the plasma membrane, enabling both invadopodia outgrowth and MT1-MMP exocytosis.

EB1 Restricts Breast Cancer Cell Invadopodia Formation and Matrix Proteolysis via FAK

Regulation of microtubule dynamics by plus-end tracking proteins (+TIPs) plays an essential role in cancer cell migration. However, the role of +TIPs in cancer cell invasion has been poorly addressed. Invadopodia, actin-rich protrusions specialized in extracellular matrix degradation, are essential for cancer cell invasion and metastasis, the leading cause of death in breast cancer. We, therefore, investigated the role of the End Binding protein, EB1, a major hub of the +TIP network, in invadopodia functions. EB1 silencing increased matrix degradation by breast cancer cells. This was recapitulated by depletion of two additional +TIPs and EB1 partners, APC and ACF7, but not by the knockdown of other +TIPs, such as CLASP1/2 or CLIP170. The knockdown of Focal Adhesion Kinase (FAK) was previously proposed to similarly promote invadopodia formation as a consequence of a switch of the Src kinase from focal adhesions to invadopodia. Interestingly, EB1-, APC-, or ACF7-depleted cells had decreased expression/activation of FAK. Remarkably, overexpression of wild type FAK, but not of FAK mutated to prevent Src recruitment, prevented the increased degradative activity induced by EB1 depletion. Overall, we propose that EB1 restricts invadopodia formation through the control of FAK and, consequently, the spatial regulation of Src activity.

In vivo microscopy reveals macrophage polarization locally promotes coherent microtubule dynamics in migrating cancer cells

Microtubules (MTs) mediate mitosis, directional signaling, and are therapeutic targets in cancer. Yet in vivo analysis of cancer cell MT behavior within the tumor microenvironment remains challenging. Here we developed an imaging pipeline using plus-end tip tracking and intravital microscopy to quantify MT dynamics in live xenograft tumor models. Among analyzed features, cancer cells in vivo displayed higher coherent orientation of MT dynamics along their cell major axes compared with 2D in vitro cultures, and distinct from 3D collagen gel cultures. This in vivo MT phenotype was reproduced in vitro when cells were co-cultured with IL4-polarized MΦ. MΦ depletion, MT disruption, targeted kinase inhibition, and altered MΦ polarization via IL10R blockade all reduced MT coherence and/or tumor cell elongation. We show that MT coherence is a defining feature for in vivo tumor cell dynamics and migration, modulated by local signaling from pro-tumor macrophages.

The regulation of microtubule (MT) dynamics in cancer cells within the tumor microenvironment is less understood. Here, the authors develop an imaging platform to examine MT dynamics in live xenograft models and show that pro-tumor macrophages modulate MT coherence and alignment to promote cancer cell migration.

Actin regulators in cancer progression and metastases: From structure and function to cytoskeletal dynamics

The cytoskeleton is a central factor contributing to various hallmarks of cancer. In recent years, there has been increasing evidence demonstrating the involvement of actin regulatory proteins in malignancy, and their dysregulation was shown to predict poor clinical prognosis. Although enhanced cytoskeletal activity is often associated with cancer progression, the expression of several inducers of actin polymerization is remarkably reduced in certain malignancies, and it is not completely clear how these changes promote tumorigenesis and metastases. The complexities involved in cytoskeletal induction of cancer progression therefore pose considerable difficulties for therapeutic intervention; it is not always clear which cytoskeletal regulator should be targeted in order to impede cancer progression, and whether this targeting may inadvertently enhance alternative invasive pathways which can aggravate tumor growth. The entire constellation of cytoskeletal machineries in eukaryotic cells are numerous and complex; the system is comprised of and regulated by hundreds of proteins, which could not be covered in a single review. Therefore, we will focus here on the actin cytoskeleton, which encompasses the biological machinery behind most of the key cellular functions altered in cancer, with specific emphasis on actin nucleating factors and nucleation-promoting factors. Finally, we discuss current therapeutic strategies for cancer which aim to target the cytoskeleton.

Microtubule-targeting agents and their impact on cancer treatment

Microtubule-targeting agents (MTAs) constitute a diverse group of chemical compounds that bind to microtubules and affect their properties and function. Disruption of microtubules induces various cellular responses often leading to cell cycle arrest or cell death, the most common effect of MTAs. MTAs have found a plethora of practical applications in weed control, as fungicides and antiparasitics, and particularly in cancer treatment. Here we summarize the current knowledge of MTAs, the mechanisms of action and their role in cancer treatment. We further outline the potential use of MTAs in anti-metastatic therapy based on inhibition of cancer cell migration and invasiveness. The two main problems associated with cancer therapy by MTAs are high systemic toxicity and development of resistance. Toxic side effects of MTAs can be, at least partly, eliminated by conjugation of the drugs with various carriers. Moreover, some of the novel MTAs overcome the resistance mediated by both multidrug resistance transporters as well as overexpression of specific β-tubulin types. In anti-metastatic therapy, MTAs should be combined with other drugs to target all modes of cancer cell invasion.

TIMP-2 secreted by monocyte-like cells is a potent suppressor of invadopodia formation in pancreatic cancer cells

BACKGROUND

Monocytes are a major component of the tumor microenvironment (TME) in pancreatic ductal adenocarcinoma (PDAC). However, the complex interactions between tumor cells and monocytes and their role in tumor invasion have not been fully established.

METHODS

To specifically test the impact of interaction on invasive potential two PDAC cell lines PaTu8902 and CFPAC-1 were selected on their ability to form invasive adhesions, otherwise known as invadopodia and invade in a spheroid invasion assay.

RESULTS

Interestingly when the PDAC cells were co-cultured with undifferentiated THP1 monocyte-like cells invadopodia formation was significantly suppressed. Moreover, conditioned media of THP1 cells (CM) was also able to suppress invadopodia formation. Further investigation revealed that both tissue inhibitor of metalloproteinase (TIMP) 1 and 2 were present in the CM. However, suppression of invadopodia formation was found that was specific to TIMP2 activity.

CONCLUSIONS

Our findings indicate that TIMP2 levels in the tumour microenvironment may have prognostic value in patients with PDAC. Furthermore, activation of TIMP2 expressing monocytes in the primary tumour could present a potential therapeutic opportunity to suppress cell invasion in PDAC.

CLASP1 regulates endothelial cell branching morphology and directed migration

Endothelial cell (EC) branching is critically dependent upon the dynamic nature of the microtubule (MT) cytoskeleton. Extracellular matrix (ECM) mechanosensing is a prominent mechanism by which cytoskeletal reorganization is achieved; yet how ECM-induced signaling is able to target cytoskeletal reorganization intracellularly to facilitate productive EC branching morphogenesis is not known. Here, we tested the hypothesis that the composition and density of the ECM drive the regulation of MT growth dynamics in ECs by targeting the MT stabilizing protein, cytoplasmic linker associated protein 1 (CLASP1). High-resolution fluorescent microscopy coupled with computational image analysis reveal that CLASP1 promotes slow MT growth on glass ECMs and promotes short-lived MT growth on high-density collagen-I and fibronectin ECMs. Within EC branches, engagement of either high-density collagen-I or high-density fibronectin ECMs results in reduced MT growth speeds, while CLASP1-dependent effects on MT dynamics promotes elevated numbers of short, branched protrusions that guide persistent and directed EC migration.

Summary: CLASP1 modulates microtubule dynamics with sub-cellular specificity in response to extracellular matrix density and composition. CLASP1 effects on microtubules promote short, branched protrusions that guide persistent and directional EC migration. This article has an associated First Person interview with the first author of the paper as part of the supplementary information.

Clinicopathological significance of the microRNA-146a/WASP-family verprolin-homologous protein-2 axis in gastric cancer

Gastric cancer (GC) is one of the most common malignancies, and cancer invasion and metastasis are the leading causes of cancer‐induced death in GC patients. WASP‐family verprolin‐homologous protein‐2 (WASF2), with a role controlling actin polymerization which is critical in the formation of membrane protrusions involved in cell migration and invasion, has been reported to possess cancer‐promoting effects in several cancers. However, data of WASF2's role in GC are relatively few and even contradictory. In this study, we analyzed WASF2 expression in GC tissues and their corresponding adjacent normal tissues. We found that WASF2 was upregulated in GC tissues and high level of WASF2 was associated with lymph node metastasis of GC. Through gain‐ and loss‐of‐function studies, WASF2 was shown to significantly increase GC cells migration and invasion, but had no effect on proliferation in vitro. Importantly, WASF2 was also found to enhance GC metastasis in vivo. Our previous research suggested that WASF2 was a direct target of microRNA‐146a (miR‐146a). Furthermore, we analyzed miR‐146a's level in GC tissues and their corresponding adjacent normal tissues. We found that miR‐146a was downregulated in GC tissues and low miR‐146a level was associated with advanced TNM stage and lymph node metastasis. The level of WASF2 in GC tissues was negatively correlated with miR‐146a expression and had inverse clinicopathologic features. The newly identified miR‐146a/WASF2 axis may provide a novel therapeutic target for GC.

Microtubules in 3D cell motility

Three-dimensional (3D) cell motility underlies essential processes, such as embryonic development, tissue repair and immune surveillance, and is involved in cancer progression. Although the cytoskeleton is a well-studied regulator of cell migration, most of what we know about its functions originates from studies conducted in two-dimensional (2D) cultures. This research established that the microtubule network mediates polarized trafficking and signaling that are crucial for cell shape and movement in 2D. In parallel, developments in light microscopy and 3D cell culture systems progressively allowed to investigate cytoskeletal functions in more physiologically relevant settings. Interestingly, several studies have demonstrated that microtubule involvement in cell morphogenesis and motility can differ in 2D and 3D environments. In this Commentary, we discuss these differences and their relevance for the understanding the role of microtubules in cell migration in vivo. We also provide an overview of microtubule functions that were shown to control cell shape and motility in 3D matrices and discuss how they can be investigated further by using physiologically relevant models.

Mesenchymal Cell Invasion Requires Cooperative Regulation of Persistent Microtubule Growth by SLAIN2 and CLASP1

Microtubules regulate signaling, trafficking, and cell mechanics, but the respective contribution of these functions to cell morphogenesis and migration in 3D matrices is unclear. Here, we report that the microtubule plus-end tracking protein (+TIP) SLAIN2, which suppresses catastrophes, is not required for 2D cell migration but is essential for mesenchymal cell invasion in 3D culture and in a mouse cancer model. We show that SLAIN2 inactivation does not affect Rho GTPase activity, trafficking, and focal adhesion formation. However, SLAIN2-dependent catastrophe inhibition determines microtubule resistance to compression and pseudopod elongation. Another +TIP, CLASP1, is also needed to form invasive pseudopods because it prevents catastrophes specifically at their tips. When microtubule growth persistence is reduced, inhibition of depolymerization is sufficient for pseudopod maintenance but not remodeling. We propose that catastrophe inhibition by SLAIN2 and CLASP1 supports mesenchymal cell shape in soft 3D matrices by enabling microtubules to perform a load-bearing function.

Normal mammary epithelial cells promote carcinoma basement membrane invasion by inducing microtubule-rich protrusions

Recent work suggests that the dissemination of tumor cells may occur in parallel with, and even preceed, tumor growth. The mechanism for this early invasion is largely unknown. Here, we find that mammary epithelial cells (MECs) induce neighboring breast carcinoma cells (BCCs) to cross the basement membrane by secreting soluble laminin. Laminin continuously produced by MECs induce long membrane cellular protrusions in BCCs that promote their contractility and invasion into the surrounding matrix. These protrusions depend on microtubule bundles assembled de novo through laminin-integrin β1 signaling. These results describe how non-cancerous MECs can actively participate in the invasive process of BCCs.

Shape control of lipid bilayer membranes by confined actin bundles

In living cells, lipid membranes and biopolymers determine each other's conformation in a delicate force balance. Cellular polymers such as actin filaments are strongly confined by the plasma membrane in cell protrusions such as lamellipodia and filopodia. Conversely, protrusion formation is facilitated by actin-driven membrane deformation and these protrusions are maintained by dense actin networks or bundles of actin filaments. Here we investigate the mechanical interplay between actin bundles and lipid bilayer membranes by reconstituting a minimal model system based on cell-sized liposomes with encapsulated actin filaments bundled by fascin. To address the competition between the deformability of the membrane and the enclosed actin bundles, we tune the bundle stiffness (through the fascin-to-actin molar ratio) and the membrane rigidity (through protein decoration). Using confocal microscopy and quantitative image analysis, we show that actin bundles deform the liposomes into a rich set of morphologies. For liposomes having a small membrane bending rigidity, the actin bundles tend to generate finger-like membrane protrusions that resemble cellular filopodia. Stiffer bundles formed at high crosslink density stay straight in the liposome body, whereas softer bundles formed at low crosslink density are bent and kinked. When the membrane has a large bending rigidity, membrane protrusions are suppressed. In this case, membrane enclosure forces the actin bundles to organize into cortical rings, to minimize the energy cost associated with filament bending. Our results highlight the importance of taking into account mechanical interactions between the actin cytoskeleton and the membrane to understand cell shape control.

The interplay between the proteolytic, invasive, and adhesive domains of invadopodia and their roles in cancer invasion

Invadopodia are actin-based protrusions of the plasma membrane that penetrate into the extracellular matrix (ECM), and enzymatically degrade it. Invadopodia and podosomes, often referred to, collectively, as "invadosomes," are actin-based membrane protrusions that facilitate matrix remodeling and cell invasion across tissues, processes that occur under specific physiological conditions such as bone remodeling, as well as under pathological states such as bone, immune disorders, and cancer metastasis. In this review, we specifically focus on the functional architecture of invadopodia in cancer cells; we discuss here three functional domains of invadopodia responsible for the metalloproteinase-based degradation of the ECM, the cytoskeleton-based mechanical penetration into the matrix, and the integrin adhesome-based adhesion to the ECM. We will describe the structural and molecular organization of each domain and the cross-talk between them during the invasion process.

Mechanical interplay between invadopodia and the nucleus in cultured cancer cells

Invadopodia are actin-rich membrane protrusions through which cells adhere to the extracellular matrix and degrade it. In this study, we explored the mechanical interactions of invadopodia in melanoma cells, using a combination of correlative light and electron microscopy. We show here that the core actin bundle of most invadopodia interacts with integrin-containing matrix adhesions at its basal end, extends through a microtubule-rich cytoplasm, and at its apical end, interacts with the nuclear envelope and indents it. Abolishment of invadopodia by microtubules or src inhibitors leads to the disappearance of these nuclear indentations. Based on the indentation profile and the viscoelastic properties of the nucleus, the force applied by invadopodia is estimated to be in the nanoNewton range. We further show that knockdown of the LINC complex components nesprin 2 or SUN1 leads to a substantial increase in the prominence of the adhesion domains at the opposite end of the invadopodia. We discuss this unexpected, long-range mechanical interplay between the apical and basal domains of invadopodia, and its possible involvement in the penetration of invadopodia into the matrix.

Comparative mechanisms of cancer cell migration through 3D matrix and physiological microtracks

Tumor cell invasion through the stromal extracellular matrix (ECM) is a key feature of cancer metastasis, and understanding the cellular mechanisms of invasive migration is critical to the development of effective diagnostic and therapeutic strategies. Since cancer cell migration is highly adaptable to physiochemical properties of the ECM, it is critical to define these migration mechanisms in a context-specific manner. Although extensive work has characterized cancer cell migration in two- and three-dimensional (3D) matrix environments, the migration program employed by cells to move through native and cell-derived microtracks within the stromal ECM remains unclear. We previously reported the development of an in vitro model of patterned type I collagen microtracks that enable matrix metalloproteinase-independent microtrack migration. Here we show that collagen microtracks closely resemble channel-like gaps in native mammary stroma ECM and examine the extracellular and intracellular mechanisms underlying microtrack migration. Cell-matrix mechanocoupling, while critical for migration through 3D matrix, is not necessary for microtrack migration. Instead, cytoskeletal dynamics, including actin polymerization, cortical tension, and microtubule turnover, enable persistent, polarized migration through physiological microtracks. These results indicate that tumor cells employ context-specific mechanisms to migrate and suggest that selective targeting of cytoskeletal dynamics, but not adhesion, proteolysis, or cell traction forces, may effectively inhibit cancer cell migration through preformed matrix microtracks within the tumor stroma.

A microfluidic coculture and multiphoton FAD analysis assay provides insight into the influence of the bone microenvironment on prostate cancer cells

In prostate cancer, bone is a frequent site of metastasis; however, the molecular mechanisms of this tumor tropism remain unclear. Here, we integrate a microfluidic coculture platform with multi-photon imaging based techniques to assess both phenotypic cell behavior and FAD fluorescence intensity and fluorescence lifetime in the same cell. This platform combines two independent assays normally performed with two different cell populations into a single device, allowing us to simultaneously assess both phenotypic cell behavior and enzyme activity. We observed that the osteotropic prostate cancer cell line (C4-2B), when in a coculture with bone marrow stromal cells (MC3T3-E1), has increased protrusive phenotype and increased total and protein-bound FAD compared to its parent cell line (LNCaP). We hypothesized that an increase in ROS-generating APAO activity may be responsible for these effects, and found that the effects were decreased in the presence of the antioxidant N-Acetyl Cysteine (NAC). This suggests that an ROS-related signaling mechanism at the bone metastatic site may be correlated with and play a role in increased invasion of metastasizing prostate cancer cells. The studies performed using this combined platform will lead to new insights into the mechanisms that drive prostate cancer metastasis.

Digging a little deeper: the stages of invadopodium formation and maturation

Invadopodia are actin-rich protrusions that degrade the extracellular matrix and are required for penetration through the basement membrane, stromal invasion and intravasation. Invadopodia are enriched in actin regulators, such as cortactin, cofilin, N-WASp, Arp2/3 and fascin. Much of the work to date has centered around identifying the proteins involved in regulating actin polymerization and matrix degradation. Recently, there have been significant advances in characterization of the very early stages of invadopodium precursor assembly and the role of adhesion proteins, such as β1 integrin, talin, FAK and Hic-5, in promoting invadopodium maturation. This review summarizes these findings in the context of our current model of invadopodial function and highlights some of the important unanswered questions in the field.

Importance of RhoGTPases in formation, characteristics, and functions of invadosomes

Podosomes and invadopodia (collectively known as invadosomes) are specialized plasma-membrane actin-based microdomains that combine adhesive properties with matrix degrading and/or mechanosensor activities. These organelles have been extensively studied in vitro and current concerted efforts aim at establishing their physiological relevance and subsequent association with human diseases. Proper functioning of the bone, immune, and vascular systems is likely to depend on these structures while their occurrence in cancer cells appears to be linked to tumor metastasis. The elucidation of the mechanisms driving invadosome assembly is a prerequisite to understanding their role in vivo and ultimately to controlling their functions. Adhesive and soluble ligands act via transmembrane receptors that propagate signals to the cytoskeleton via small G proteins of the Rho family, assisted by tyrosine kinases and scaffold proteins to induce invadosome formation and rearrangements. Oncogene expression and cell-cell interactions may also trigger their assembly. Manipulation of the signals that regulate invadosome formation and dynamics could therefore be a strategy to interfere with their functions in a multitude of pathological settings, such as excessive bone breakdown, infections, vascular remodeling, transendothelial diapedesis, and metastasis.

Heading off with the herd: how cancer cells might maneuver supernumerary centrosomes for directional migration

The complicity of centrosomes in carcinogenesis is unmistakable. Mounting evidence clearly implicates a robust correlation between centrosome amplification (CA) and malignant transformation in diverse tissue types. Furthermore, CA has been suggested as a marker of cancer aggressiveness, in particular the invasive phenotype, in breast and prostate cancers. One means by which CA promotes malignancy is through induction of transient spindle multipolarity during mitosis, which predisposes the cell to karyotypic changes arising from low-grade chromosome mis-segregation. It is well recognized that during cell migration in interphase, centrosome-mediated nucleation of a radial microtubule array is crucial for establishing a polarized Golgi apparatus, without which directionality is precluded. The question of how cancer cells maneuver their supernumerary centrosomes to achieve directionality during cell migration is virtually uncharted territory. Given that CA is a hallmark of cancers and has been correlated with cancer aggressiveness, malignant cells are presumably competent in managing their centrosome surfeit during directional migration, although the cellular logistics of this process remain unexplored. Another key angle worth pondering is whether an overabundance of centrosomes confers some advantage on cancer cells in terms of their migratory and invasive capabilities. Recent studies have uncovered a remarkable strategy that cancer cells employ to deal with the problem of excess centrosomes and ensure bipolar mitoses, viz., centrosome clustering. This review aims to change the narrative by exploring how an increased centrosome complement may, via aneuploidy-independent modulation of the microtubule cytoskeleton, enhance directional migration and invasion of malignant cells. We postulate that CA imbues cancer cells with cytoskeletal advantages that enhance cell polarization, Golgi-dependent vesicular trafficking, stromal invasion, and other aspects of metastatic progression. We also propose that centrosome declustering may represent a novel, cancer cell-specific antimetastatic strategy, as cancer cells may rely on centrosome clustering during migration as they do in mitosis. Elucidation of these details offers an exciting avenue for future research, as does investigating how CA may promote metastasis through enhanced directional migration.

Invasive cells in animals and plants: searching for LECA machineries in later eukaryotic life

Invasive cell growth and migration is usually considered a specifically metazoan phenomenon. However, common features and mechanisms of cytoskeletal rearrangements, membrane trafficking and signalling processes contribute to cellular invasiveness in organisms as diverse as metazoans and plants – two eukaryotic realms genealogically connected only through the last common eukaryotic ancestor (LECA). By comparing current understanding of cell invasiveness in model cell types of both metazoan and plant origin (invadopodia of transformed metazoan cells, neurites, pollen tubes and root hairs), we document that invasive cell behavior in both lineages depends on similar mechanisms. While some superficially analogous processes may have arisen independently by convergent evolution (e.g. secretion of substrate- or tissue-macerating enzymes by both animal and plant cells), at the heart of cell invasion is an evolutionarily conserved machinery of cellular polarization and oriented cell mobilization, involving the actin cytoskeleton and the secretory pathway. Its central components - small GTPases (in particular RHO, but also ARF and Rab), their specialized effectors, actin and associated proteins, the exocyst complex essential for polarized secretion, or components of the phospholipid- and redox- based signalling circuits (inositol-phospholipid kinases/PIP2, NADPH oxidases) are aparently homologous among plants and metazoans, indicating that they were present already in LECA.

Reviewer: This article was reviewed by Arcady Mushegian, Valerian Dolja and Purificacion Lopez-Garcia.

A novel 3D fibril force assay implicates src in tumor cell force generation in collagen networks

New insight into the biomechanics of cancer cell motility in 3D extracellular matrix (ECM) environments would significantly enhance our understanding of aggressive cancers and help identify new targets for intervention. While several methods for measuring the forces involved in cell-matrix interactions have been developed, previous to this study none have been able to measure forces in a fibrillar environment. We have developed a novel assay for simultaneously measuring cell mechanotransduction and motility in 3D fibrillar environments. The assay consists of a controlled-density fibrillar collagen gel atop a controlled-stiffness polyacrylamide (PAA) surface. Forces generated by living cells and their migration in the 3D collagen gel were measured with the 3D motion of tracer beads within the PAA layer. Here, this 3D fibril force assay is used to study the role of the invasion-associated protein kinase Src in mechanotransduction and motility. Src expression and activation are linked with proliferation, invasion, and metastasis, and have been shown to be required in 2D for invadopodia membranes to direct and mediate invasion. Breast cancer cell line MDA-MD-231 was stably transfected with GFP-tagged constitutively active Src or wild-type Src. In 3D fibrillar collagen matrices we found that, relative to wild-type Src, constitutively active Src: 1) increased the strength of cell-induced forces on the ECM, 2) did not significantly change migration speed, and 3) increased both the duration and the length, but not the number, of long membrane protrusions. Taken together, these results support the hypothesis that Src controls invasion by controlling the ability of the cell to form long lasting cellular protrusions to enable penetration through tissue barriers, in addition to its role in promoting invadopodia matrix-degrading activity.

Epithelial-mesenchymal transition stimulates human cancer cells to extend microtubule-based invasive protrusions and suppresses cell growth in collagen gel

Epithelial-mesenchymal transition (EMT) is a crucial event in tumor invasion and metastasis. However, most of past EMT studies have been conducted in the conventional two-dimensional (2D) monolayer culture. Therefore, it remains unclear what invasive phenotypes are acquired by EMT-induced cancer cells. To address this point, we attempted to characterize EMT cells in more physiological, three-dimensional (3D) collagen gel culture. EMT was induced by treating three human carcinoma cell lines (A549, Panc-1 and MKN-1) with TGF-ß. The TGF-ß treatment stimulated these cells to overexpress the invasion markers laminin γ2 and MT1-MMP in 2D culture, in addition to the induction of well-known morphological change and EMT marker expression. EMT induction enhanced cell motility and adhesiveness to fibronectin and collagen in 2D culture. Although EMT cells showed comparable cell growth to control cells in 2D culture, their growth rates were extremely suppressed in soft agar and collagen gel cultures. Most characteristically, EMT-induced cancer cells commonly and markedly extended invasive protrusions in collagen gel. These protrusions were mainly supported by microtubules rather than actin cytoskeleton. Snail-introduced, stable EMT cells showed similar protrusions in 3D conditions without TGF-ß. Moreover, these protrusions were suppressed by colchicine or inhibitors of heat shock protein 90 (HSP-90) and protein phosphatase 2A. However, MMP inhibitors did not suppress the protrusion formation. These data suggest that EMT enhances tumor cell infiltration into interstitial stroma by extending microtubule-based protrusions and suppressing cell growth. The elevated cell adhesion to fibronectin and collagen and high cell motility also seem important for the tumor invasion.

WAVE2 Protein Complex Coupled to Membrane and Microtubules

E-cadherin is one of the key molecules in the formation of cell-cell adhesion and interacts intracellularly with a group of proteins collectively named catenins, through which the E-cadherin-catenin complex is anchored to actin-based cytoskeletal components. Although cell-cell adhesion is often disrupted in cancer cells by either genetic or epigenetic alterations in cell adhesion molecules, disruption of cell-cell adhesion alone seems to be insufficient for the induction of cancer cell migration and invasion. A small GTP-binding protein, Rac1, induces the specific cellular protrusions lamellipodia via WAVE2, a member of WASP/WAVE family of the actin cytoskeletal regulatory proteins. Biochemical and pharmacological investigations have revealed that WAVE2 interacts with many proteins that regulate microtubule growth, actin assembly, and membrane targeting of proteins, all of which are necessary for directional cell migration through lamellipodia formation. These findings might have important implications for the development of effective therapeutic agents against cancer cell migration and invasion.

Mechanobiology of tumor invasion: engineering meets oncology

The physical sciences and engineering have introduced novel perspectives into the study of cancer through model systems, tools, and metrics that enable integration of basic science observations with clinical data. These methods have contributed to the identification of several overarching mechanisms that drive processes during cancer progression including tumor growth, angiogenesis, and metastasis. During tumor cell invasion - the first clinically observable step of metastasis - cells demonstrate diverse and evolving physical phenotypes that cannot typically be defined by any single molecular mechanism, and mechanobiology has been used to study the physical cell behaviors that comprise the "invasive phenotype". In this review, we discuss the continually evolving pathological characterization and in vitro mechanobiological characterization of tumor invasion, with emphasis on emerging physical biology and mechanobiology strategies that have contributed to a more robust mechanistic understanding of tumor cell invasion. These physical approaches may ultimately help to better predict and identify tumor metastasis.

Actin, microtubules, and vimentin intermediate filaments cooperate for elongation of invadopodia

Microtubules and intermediate filaments cooperate with actin and other components of filopodia during invadopodia maturation.

Invasive cancer cells are believed to breach the basement membrane (BM) using specialized protrusions called invadopodia. We found that the crossing of a native BM is a three-stage process: invadopodia indeed form and perforate the BM, elongate into mature invadopodia, and then guide the cell toward the stromal compartment. We studied the remodeling of cytoskeleton networks during invadopodia formation and elongation using ultrastructural analysis, spatial distribution of molecular markers, and RNA interference silencing of protein expression. We show that formation of invadopodia requires only the actin cytoskeleton and filopodia- and lamellipodia-associated proteins. In contrast, elongation of invadopodia is mostly dependent on filopodial actin machinery. Moreover, intact microtubules and vimentin intermediate filament networks are required for further growth. We propose that invadopodia form by assembly of dendritic/diagonal and bundled actin networks and then mature by elongation of actin bundles, followed by the entry of microtubules and vimentin filaments. These findings provide a link between the epithelial to mesenchymal transition and BM transmigration.

Matrix invasion by tumour cells: a focus on MT1-MMP trafficking to invadopodia

When migrating away from a primary tumour, cancer cells interact with and remodel the extracellular matrix (ECM). Matrix metalloproteinases (MMPs), and in particular the transmembrane MT1-MMP (also known as MMP-14), are key enzymes in tumour-cell invasion. Results from recent in vitro studies highlight that MT1-MMP is implicated both in the breaching of basement membranes by tumour cells and in cell invasion through interstitial type-I collagen tissues. Remarkably, MT1-MMP accumulates at invadopodia, which are specialized ECM-degrading membrane protrusions of invasive cells. Here we review current knowledge about MT1-MMP trafficking and its importance for the regulation of protease activity at invadopodia. In invasive cells, endocytosis of MT1-MMP by clathrin- and caveolae-dependent pathways can be counteracted by several mechanisms, which leads to protease stabilization at the cell surface and increased pericellular degradation of the matrix. Furthermore, the recent identification of cellular components that control delivery of MT1-MMP to invadopodia brings new insight into mechanisms of cancer-cell invasion and reveals potential pharmacological targets.