Navigation Links
Scientists identify a molecule that coordinates the movement of cells
Date:10/2/2008

Even cells commute. To get from their birthplace to their work site, they sequentially attach to and detach from an elaborate track of exceptionally strong proteins known as the extracellular matrix. Now, in research to appear in the October 3 issue of Cell, scientists at the Howard Hughes Medical Institute and Rockefeller University show that a molecule, called ACF7, helps regulate and power this movement from the inside - findings that could have implications for understanding how cancer cells metastasize.

"The most dangerous part of cancer is that cancer cells migrate from their primary location and invade other parts of the body," says first author Xiaoyang Wu, a postdoc in Elaine Fuchs's Laboratory of Mammalian Cell Biology and Development. "ACF7 facilitates cell movement, so it's possible that the less ACF7 a cell has, the less malignant it would become. It's a really exciting question in cancer biology now."

To travel along the extracellular matrix, cells must stick to and unstick from it via focal adhesions, structures composed of molecules that connect the inside to the outside of the cell. (While some molecules connect to the matrix, others connect to a scaffold inside the cell called the cytoskeleton.) As these structures collectively assemble and disassemble, the cell walks forward. Fuchs and Wu show that ACF7 can not only access energy stores to power this movement from within but also coordinate it by linking two fiber-like proteins called f-actin and microtubules, which together form the cytoskeleton and help give cells their shape.

"Inside the cell, actin cables converge at focal adhesions at the cell's leading edge," Fuchs explains. "We found that ACF7 guides microtubules along a roadway of actin cables and leads them toward the focal adhesions at the cell's periphery. Among the cargo transported along microtubules are factors that disassemble focal adhesions. Hence by coupling microtubule, actin and focal adh
'/>"/>

Contact: Thania Benios
tbenios@rockefeller.edu
212-327-7146
Rockefeller University
Source:Eurekalert

1

GOOD

Page: 1 2

Related biology news :

1. Thinking it through: Scientists call for policy to guide biofuels industry toward sustainability
2. Earth scientists keep an eye on Texas
3. MU scientists see how HIV matures into an infection
4. Scientists discover why a mothers high-fat diet contributes to obesity in her children
5. Scientists identify gene that may contribute to improved rice yield
6. MU scientists go green with gold, distribute environmentally friendly nanoparticles
7. Argonne scientists peer into heart of compound that may detect chemical, biological weapons
8. Scientists identify novel inhibitor of human microRNA
9. Jefferson scientists deliver toxic genes to effectively kill pancreatic cancer cells
10. ESA trains next generation of atmospheric scientists
11. Scientists find redesigned hammer that forged evolution of pregnancy in mammals
Post Your Comments:
*Name:
*Comment:
*Email:
(Date:5/24/2013)... Cancer cells spread and grow by avoiding detection and ... system can help to eliminate cancer cells; however, there ... ignore cancer cells. Regulatory T cells are immune cells ... this issue of the Journal of Clinical Investigation ... found that regulatory T cells that infiltrate tumors express ...
(Date:5/24/2013)... water scientists from around the world today issued a ... span of one or two generations, the majority of ... under the handicap of severe pressure on fresh water, ... no substitute. This handicap will be self-inflicted and is, ... to chronic underlying problems led by mismanagement and sent ...
(Date:5/23/2013)... ships per year, carrying more than 284 million tons of ... billion dollars in toll fees for the Panama Canal Authority. ... gallons of water are used from Gatun Lake, which is ... living in the isthmus. , However, the advent of ... of the ships at sea, has demanded change. The Panama ...
Breaking Biology News(10 mins):A majority on Earth face severe self-inflicted water woes within 2 generations: Scientists 2A majority on Earth face severe self-inflicted water woes within 2 generations: Scientists 3A majority on Earth face severe self-inflicted water woes within 2 generations: Scientists 4Reforestation study shows trade-offs between water, carbon and timber 2Reforestation study shows trade-offs between water, carbon and timber 3
... answered one of neuroscience's most vexing questions--how can it ... crystal-clear thoughts, seem to fire in utterly random ways? ... Rochester study shows that the brain's cortex uses seemingly ... the real world--and that this noise dramatically enhances the ...
... Investigators at St. Jude Children's Research Hospital turned up ... of these unruly molecules perform critical functions in the ... collection, investigation and classification of these so-called intrinsically unstructured ... vital roles in the daily activities of cells. ...
... life's first cells, Irene Chen, a regional winner from North ... receive the $25,000 GE & Science Prize for Young Life ... , which is published by AAAS, the nonprofit society. , ... 11 December, during an award ceremony. She will also meet ...
Cached Biology News:Mysterious 'neural noise' actually primes brain for peak performance 2Mysterious 'neural noise' actually primes brain for peak performance 3First major study of mammalian 'disorderly' proteins 2American scientist's research of life's first cells 2American scientist's research of life's first cells 3American scientist's research of life's first cells 4
(Date:5/24/2013)... Vestiage, Inc. (stock symbol "VEST") a publicly ... and development, sales and marketing of premium branded ... that it is awarding exclusive Vestiage territories in ... Skin Illuminating Facial Care. Qualified applicants can request ... email to info(at)vestiageinc(dot)com and putting RELUMA in the ...
(Date:5/23/2013)... Every day, their baby stopped breathing, his collapsed ... lungs. April and Bryan Gionfriddo watched helplessly, just praying ... a few doctors said he had a good chance ... about her now 20-month-old son, Kaiba. "At that point, ... take it and run with it." , They found ...
(Date:5/23/2013)... Can economic incentives such as gift ... of the public to increase their donations of blood? ... Carey Business School Assistant Professor Mario Macis says ... large body of recent research that supports their argument, ... issue of Science that the World Health Organization and ...
(Date:5/23/2013)... , May 23, 2013 PuraMed ... developer, and marketer of over-the-counter (OTC) medicinal and ... research opinion on the company based on low ... , Non-Prescription, All Natural Product to Treat ... Product Outperforms #1 Prescription Competitor , Currently ...
Breaking Biology Technology:Vestiage Announces Launch of Exclusive Territories for Reluma Brand Sales in USA 2Vestiage Announces Launch of Exclusive Territories for Reluma Brand Sales in USA 3Vestiage Announces Launch of Exclusive Territories for Reluma Brand Sales in USA 4Vestiage Announces Launch of Exclusive Territories for Reluma Brand Sales in USA 5Baby's life saved with groundbreaking 3-D printed device that restored his breathing 2Baby's life saved with groundbreaking 3-D printed device that restored his breathing 3Offering Economic Incentives to Attract Blood Donations Should Be Encouraged, Research Team writes in Science 2Offering Economic Incentives to Attract Blood Donations Should Be Encouraged, Research Team writes in Science 3PuraMed BioScience (PMBS) Issued Alert Based on Market Cap of $721,756 2PuraMed BioScience (PMBS) Issued Alert Based on Market Cap of $721,756 3
... Wisconsin Department of Commerce has announced that ... businesses for technology development projects. , ,NovaScan, a Milwaukee-based ... materials used to identify different tissue types, will receive ... and test a prototype for clinical application of its ...
... world's most powerful supercomputers are used for biotechtechnology ... surprise to the Wisconsin companies operating at the ... while information technology is extremely important in the ... manufacturing and analysis, enterprise resource planning systems track ...
... Wis. - An education research team at the ... MacArthur Foundation to study the impact of digital ... total $50 million investment will support 24 national studies of ... societal implications. , ,"What MacArthur is actually trying to ...
Cached Biology Technology:Proceeding with caution at corner of IT & biotech 2Proceeding with caution at corner of IT & biotech 3Proceeding with caution at corner of IT & biotech 4UW gets $3M to explore educational gaming 2UW gets $3M to explore educational gaming 3
Anti-Flavocytochrome b Monoclonal, FITC Labeled Research Focus: other Storage: 4C Shipping Temperature: 4C...
Chaps Cell Extract Buffer can be used to lyse cells under nondenaturing conditions and is recommendedfor the preparation of cell lysates to be used with our caspase signaling pathway antibodies...
Rabbit polyclonal to Reptin/TIP49B/RUVB2 ( Abpromise for all tested applications). Antigen: Synthetic peptide (Human) Entrez Gene ID: 10856 Swiss Protein ID: Q6FIB9...
Anti-human L-Ficolin, Clone GN4, Monoclonal Antibody...
Biology Products: