Rapid disorganization of mechanically interacting systems of mammary acini

121Citations
Citations of this article
226Readers
Mendeley users who have this article in their library.

Abstract

Cells and multicellular structures can mechanically align and concentrate fibers in their ECM environment and can sense and respond to mechanical cues by differentiating, branching, or disorganizing. Here we show that mammary acini with compromised structural integrity can interconnect by forming long collagen lines. These collagen lines then coordinate and accelerate transition to an invasive phenotype. Interacting acini begin to disorganize within 12.5 4.7 h in a spatially coordinated manner, whereas acini that do not interact mechanically with other acini disorganize more slowly (in 21.8 4.1 h) and to a lesser extent (P < 0.0001). When the directed mechanical connections between acini were cut with a laser, the acini reverted to a slowly disorganizing phenotype. When acini were fully mechanically isolated from other acini and also from the bulk gel by box-cuts with a side length <900 ?m, transition to an invasive phenotype was blocked in 20 of 20 experiments, regardless of waiting time. Thus, pairs or groups of mammary acini can interact mechanically over long distances through the collagen matrix, and these directed mechanical interactions facilitate transition to an invasive phenotype.

Author supplied keywords

Cite

CITATION STYLE

APA

Shi, Q., Ghosh, R. P., Engelke, H., Rycroft, C. H., Cassereau, L., Sethian, J. A., … Liphardt, J. T. (2014). Rapid disorganization of mechanically interacting systems of mammary acini. Proceedings of the National Academy of Sciences of the United States of America, 111(2), 658–663. https://doi.org/10.1073/pnas.1311312110

Register to see more suggestions

Mendeley helps you to discover research relevant for your work.

Already have an account?

Save time finding and organizing research with Mendeley

Sign up for free