Cancer 11: Invasion Flashcards
What are the molecular mechanisms that regulate motility
microfilaments
regulation of actin dynamics
cytoskeletal proteins
signalling proteins
What are the steps of tumour progression
- Homeostasis
- Genetic alterations
- Hyperproliferation
- Dedifferentiation
- Invasion
What is involved in dedifferentiation
disassembly of cell-cell contacts
loss of polarity
What is inolved in invasion
increased motility
cleavage ECM proteins
Outline how cells change property during metastasis
Tightly bound together in priary tumours
Become mobile mesenchyme type cells and enter blood stream
Exit circulation and lose mesenchymal characteristics to form new tumour
Classify the types of tumour cell migratin
Amoeboid (small collection of cells) e.g. lymphoma
Mesenchymal (single cells or in chains) e.g. breast sarcoma
Cluster/cohorts e.g. epithelial cancer/melanoma, SCC
Multicecellular strands/sheets e.g. epithelial cancer/vascu tumours, SCC
Outline the the important proteins in each category of tumour cell migration
The individual (amoeboid and mesenchymal) and collective (cluster/cohort and multicellular strands) both require integrins and protease
The collective also require cadherins and gap junctions
Tumour cell metastasis is similar to what
Mimics morphogenetic events:
The cancer cell is de-differentiated and taken back to a stage of development in which cells would physiologically invade tissue
e. g.
- Branching morphogenesis
- Vascular sprouting
- Border cells (collective migration)
In these processes, there is a tip cell which is pushed up and degrades tissue (i.e. in lung development). SImilar to clusters and invasion
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Differentiate the scratch wound assay with primary glial cells vs with glial tumour cell line
In primary glial cells, the cells can sense a gap, but they maintain cell-cell contacts and migrate coherently (collective migration)
In the cancer cell line, the cells can sense the gap, but do not migrate together and do not maintain any cell cell contacts
Compare the expression profile of invasive cells vs primary tumour cells
How was the experiment performed
Inject tumour cells into a mouse. Then insert a needle with EGF, which is chemotactic for the tumour cells (but only those which can METASTASISE, as we only want to look at the proteins in the cells that can invade… othe tumour cells that can’t migrate are left in the primary tumour)
There was upregulation (so more mRNA) of genes (in invasive compared to primary tumour) involved in:
- CYTOSKELETON REGULATION
- MOTILITY MACHINERY
Especially Arp2/3 and EGFR
What can stimualte cells to move
organogenesis and morphogenesis
wounding
growth factors/chemoattractants (i.e. like how EGF was injected into the mouse to attract cells from the primary tumour)
dedifferentiation (tumours)
What determines where the cells go
How do cells know when to stop
Where to go: directionality (polarity occurs so that the cells become the mesenchymal type in the slide, the thicker end is the direciton of movement)
When to stop: contact inhibition motility
How do cells move
specialized structures (focal adhesion, lamellae, filopodium)
How are cells atttached to ECM proteins
Via integrins, there is an intracellular plaque linking the cytoskelon to the ECM
What are focal adhesions
Focal adhesions are large, dynamic protein complexes through which the cytoskeleton of a cell connects to the ECM
Filamentous actin converges onto the plaque which, through which it links to integrin molecules (look at the image, where there are focal adhesions, there is convergence of filamentous actin )
What is vinculin
vinculin is a membrane-cytoskeletal protein in focal adhesion plaques that is involved in linkage of integrin adhesion molecules to the actin cytoskeleton
Differentiate filipodia and lamellipodia
Filopodia: Finger-like protrusions rich in actin filaments. Parallel filaments
Lamellipodia_ Sheet-like protrusions rich in actin filaments. Branched and crosslinked filaments.
Where can filipodia and where can lamallipodia be found
During extension of the cell in migration , there is the ‘leading edge of lamellipodia’ (see rock climbing image)
Filopodia (also microspikes) are slender cytoplasmic projections that extend beyond the leading edge of lamellipodia in migrating cells
Note, filopodia are not included on this diagram
What control is needed in cell movement
Control within a cell to coordinate what is happening in different parts
Control to regulate adhesion/release of cell-extracellular matrix receptors (i.e. to allow attachment to the ECM and then degrade these attachments at the back of the cell)
Control from outside to respond to external influences –
sensors
directionality
What allows for cell movement
Changing cell shape
Differentiate the types of motility in cell movement
Motility:
hapoptatic (cell moving in different direction)
chemotatic (all of the cell moving in one direction… required control)…
determined by external influences (sensors and directionality)
What are the stages of cell motility
Extension, adhesion, trnaslocation, deadhesion
Like rock climbing….. look at the diagram slide 15
What are the two types of actin
G actin and F actin
G is small soluble subinity
F is large filamentous polymer
What can hppen to actin in response to signal such as nutrient source
Disassembly of filments and rapid diffusion of subunits
Then reassemby of filaments at a new site (i.e. where the signal was detected)
Basically, filamentous actin in one part of the cell will break down into monomeric actin and then reassemble at the site that the migration is required
Explain the relationship between lamellipodia, filopodia, stressfibres and focal adhesions.
Ensure you compare the organisaiton of actin in each structure too
Lamellipodia= leading front of the migrating cell.
Filopodia= extensions of the lamellipodia branching out
Stress fibres=actin filaments which converge at focal adhesions with integrin molecules
Stress fibres have anti-parallel contractile strucutres.
These allow for the contraction at the back of the cell which drives the cell forward.
Relate slide 17 to slide 15
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