Nature Communications (Apr 2017)

Anisotropic forces from spatially constrained focal adhesions mediate contact guidance directed cell migration

  • Arja Ray,
  • Oscar Lee,
  • Zaw Win,
  • Rachel M. Edwards,
  • Patrick W. Alford,
  • Deok-Ho Kim,
  • Paolo P. Provenzano

DOI
https://doi.org/10.1038/ncomms14923
Journal volume & issue
Vol. 8, no. 1
pp. 1 – 17

Abstract

Read online

Contact guidance on aligned substrates leads to directed cell migration through a poorly defined mechanism. Here the authors show that alignment of adhesion structures and F-actin generates anisotropic traction stress to drive directional migration, and cell-cell contact reduces force orientation and directional response.