Caco-2 cells labeled for tight junction molecule cingulin (green), actin (red), vinculin (pink) and DNA (blue).
Epithelial cells growing on a patterned adhesive surface with the shape of the Weizmann Institute tree.
Desmosomes in mouse tongue epithelium (by transmission electron microscope).
Porcine aortic endothelial cell, double-labeled for actin (green) and phospho-tyrosine (red).
“Molecular composition map” of focal adhesions and stress fibers.
Myeloma cancer cell responding to shear flow (by scanning electron microscope).
Identification of Novel Pro-Migratory, Cancer-Associated Genes Using Quantitative, Microscopy-Based Screening
Background
Cell migration plays a critical role in numerous physiological processes, including embryonic development, inflammatory responses, wound healing, and angiogenesis, as well as in pathological states such as tumor invasion and metastasis.
Rationale
Cell migration is a highly complex process, regulated by multiple genes, signaling pathways and external stimuli. To discover genes or pharmacological agents that can modulate the migratory activity of cells, screening strategies that enable the monitoring of diverse migratory parameters in a large number of samples are necessary.
Methods
A quantitative, high-throughput cell migration assay, was developed, based on a modified phagokinetic tracks (PKT) procedure. It was then applied for identifying novel pro-migratory genes in a cancer-related gene library.
Results
Four novel genes derived from breast carcinoma related cDNA library were identified; whose over-expression induces major alteration in the migration of the stationary MCF7 cells.
Conclusions
This approach can serve for high throughput screening for novel ways to modulate cellular migration in pathological states such as tumor metastasis and invasion.
Contact person: Suha Naffar-Abu-Amara
Further Reading
(2008).
Identification of novel pro-migratory, cancer-associated genes using quantitative, microscopy-based screening.
PLoS ONE.
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