Plasticity in the macromolecular-scale causal networks of cell migration

PLoS One. 2014 Feb 28;9(2):e90593. doi: 10.1371/journal.pone.0090593. eCollection 2014.

Abstract

Heterogeneous and dynamic single cell migration behaviours arise from a complex multi-scale signalling network comprising both molecular components and macromolecular modules, among which cell-matrix adhesions and F-actin directly mediate migration. To date, the global wiring architecture characterizing this network remains poorly defined. It is also unclear whether such a wiring pattern may be stable and generalizable to different conditions, or plastic and context dependent. Here, synchronous imaging-based quantification of migration system organization, represented by 87 morphological and dynamic macromolecular module features, and migration system behaviour, i.e., migration speed, facilitated Granger causality analysis. We thereby leveraged natural cellular heterogeneity to begin mapping the directionally specific causal wiring between organizational and behavioural features of the cell migration system. This represents an important advance on commonly used correlative analyses that do not resolve causal directionality. We identified organizational features such as adhesion stability and adhesion F-actin content that, as anticipated, causally influenced cell migration speed. Strikingly, we also found that cell speed can exert causal influence over organizational features, including cell shape and adhesion complex location, thus revealing causality in directions contradictory to previous expectations. Importantly, by comparing unperturbed and signalling-modulated cells, we provide proof-of-principle that causal interaction patterns are in fact plastic and context dependent, rather than stable and generalizable.

Publication types

  • Research Support, Non-U.S. Gov't

MeSH terms

  • Actins / genetics
  • Actins / metabolism
  • Cell Adhesion / physiology
  • Cell Line, Tumor
  • Cell Movement / physiology*
  • Cell Shape / physiology
  • Green Fluorescent Proteins / genetics
  • Green Fluorescent Proteins / metabolism
  • Humans
  • Macromolecular Substances / metabolism*
  • Microscopy, Confocal
  • Models, Biological
  • Multivariate Analysis
  • Paxillin / genetics
  • Paxillin / metabolism
  • Principal Component Analysis
  • Signal Transduction / physiology*
  • Single-Cell Analysis / methods*

Substances

  • Actins
  • Macromolecular Substances
  • Paxillin
  • Green Fluorescent Proteins

Grants and funding

This work was supported by grants to SS from the EU-FP7– Systems Microscopy NoE (Grant No. HEALTH-F4-2010-258068), the Centre for Biosciences at KI, the Swedish Research Council and the Swedish Cancer Society. Imaging occurred at the live cell-imaging unit at the Department of Biosciences and Nutrition at KI, supported by grants from the Knut and Alice Wallenberg Foundation, the Swedish Research Council and the Centre for Biosciences at KI. The funders had no role in study design, data collection and analysis, decision to publish, or preparation of the manuscript.