Advanced 2D/3D cell migration assay for faster evaluation of chemotaxis of slow-moving cells

PLoS One. 2019 Jul 17;14(7):e0219708. doi: 10.1371/journal.pone.0219708. eCollection 2019.

Abstract

Considering the essential role of chemotaxis of adherent, slow-moving cells in processes such as tumor metastasis or wound healing, a detailed understanding of the mechanisms and cues that direct migration of cells through tissues is highly desirable. The state-of-the-art chemotaxis instruments (e.g. microfluidic-based devices, bridge assays) can generate well-defined, long-term stable chemical gradients, crucial for quantitative investigation of chemotaxis in slow-moving cells. However, the majority of chemotaxis tools are designed for the purpose of an in-depth, but labor-intensive analysis of migratory behavior of single cells. This is rather inefficient for applications requiring higher experimental throughput, as it is the case of e.g. clinical examinations, chemoattractant screening or studies of the chemotaxis-related signaling pathways based on subcellular perturbations. Here, we present an advanced migration assay for accelerated and facilitated evaluation of the chemotactic response of slow-moving cells. The revised chemotaxis chamber contains a hydrogel microstructure-the migration arena, designed to enable identification of chemotactic behavior of a cell population in respect to the end-point of the experiment. At the same time, the assay in form of a microscopy slide enables direct visualization of the cells in either 2D or 3D environment, and provides a stable and linear gradient of chemoattractant. We demonstrate the correctness of the assay on the model study of HT-1080 chemotaxis in 3D and on 2D surface. Finally, we apply the migration arena chemotaxis assay to screen for a chemoattractant of primary keratinocytes, cells that play a major role in wound healing, being responsible for skin re-epithelialization and a successful wound closure. In direction of new therapeutic strategies to promote wound repair, we identified the chemotactic activity of the epithelial growth factor receptor (EGFR) ligands EGF and TGFα (transforming growth factor α).

Publication types

  • Research Support, Non-U.S. Gov't

MeSH terms

  • Cell Line, Tumor
  • Cell Migration Assays*
  • Cell Movement
  • Cell Survival
  • Chemotactic Factors
  • Chemotaxis*
  • ErbB Receptors / metabolism
  • Humans
  • Imaging, Three-Dimensional / methods*
  • Keratinocytes / cytology
  • Microfluidics
  • Re-Epithelialization
  • Signal Transduction
  • Skin / pathology
  • Transforming Growth Factor alpha / metabolism
  • Wound Healing

Substances

  • Chemotactic Factors
  • Transforming Growth Factor alpha
  • ErbB Receptors

Grants and funding

This project has received funding from the European Union’s Horizon 2020 research and innovation programme under the Marie Skłodowska-Curie grant agreement no 642866. The funders had no role in study design, data collection and analysis, decision to publish, or preparation of the manuscript.