Cell-Cell Adhesion and Myosin Activity Regulate Cortical Actin Assembly in Mammary Gland Epithelium on Concaved Surface

Wei-Hung Jung; Khalid Elawad; Sung Hoon Kang; Yun Chen

doi:10.3390/cells8080813

Cell-Cell Adhesion and Myosin Activity Regulate Cortical Actin Assembly in Mammary Gland Epithelium on Concaved Surface

Cells. 2019 Aug 2;8(8):813. doi: 10.3390/cells8080813.

Authors

Wei-Hung Jung^{1

2

3}, Khalid Elawad⁴, Sung Hoon Kang^{1

2}, Yun Chen^{5

6

7}

Affiliations

¹ Department of Mechanical Engineering, Johns Hopkins University, Baltimore, MD 21218, USA.
² The Institute for NanoBioTechnology, Johns Hopkins University, Baltimore, MD 21218, USA.
³ Center for Cell Dynamics, Johns Hopkins University, Baltimore, MD 21205, USA.
⁴ Department of Materials Science and Engineering, Johns Hopkins University, Baltimore, MD 21218, USA.
⁵ Department of Mechanical Engineering, Johns Hopkins University, Baltimore, MD 21218, USA. yun.chen@jhu.edu.
⁶ The Institute for NanoBioTechnology, Johns Hopkins University, Baltimore, MD 21218, USA. yun.chen@jhu.edu.
⁷ Center for Cell Dynamics, Johns Hopkins University, Baltimore, MD 21205, USA. yun.chen@jhu.edu.

Abstract

It has been demonstrated that geometry can affect cell behaviors. Though curvature-sensitive proteins at the nanoscale are studied, it is unclear how cells sense curvature at the cellular and multicellular levels. To characterize and determine the mechanisms of curvature-dependent cell behaviors, we grow cells on open channels of the 60-µm radius. We found that cortical F-actin is 1.2-fold more enriched in epithelial cells grown on the curved surface compared to the flat control. We observed that myosin activity is required to promote cortical F-actin formation. Furthermore, cell-cell contact was shown to be indispensable for curvature-dependent cortical actin assembly. Our results indicate that the actomyosin network coupled with adherens junctions is involved in curvature-sensing at the multi-cellular level.

Keywords: E-cadherin; adherens junction; cortical actin; curvature sensing; myosin.

Publication types

Research Support, Non-U.S. Gov't

MeSH terms

Actin Cytoskeleton / ultrastructure
Actins / metabolism*
Adherens Junctions
Animals
Cadherins / metabolism*
Cell Adhesion / physiology*
Cell Line
Epithelial Cells* / cytology
Epithelial Cells* / metabolism
Epithelium / ultrastructure
Female
Mammary Glands, Animal / cytology*
Myosin Type II / metabolism*

Substances

Actins
Cadherins
Cdh1 protein, mouse
Myosin Type II