Integrin-dependent adhesion to the extracellular matrix (ECM) mediates mechanosensing and signaling in response to altered microenvironmental conditions. In order to provide tissue- and organ-specific cues, the ECM is composed of many different proteins that temper the mechanical properties and provide…
IGFBP2 secretion by mammary adipocytes limits breast cancer invasion by James R W Conway et al.
The progression of noninvasive ductal carcinoma in situ to invasive ductal carcinoma for patients with breast cancer results in a significantly poorer prognosis and is the precursor to metastatic disease. In this work, we have identified insulin-like growth factor-binding protein…
Myosin-X recruits lamellipodin to filopodia tips by Ana Popović et al.
Myosin-X (MYO10), a molecular motor localizing to filopodia, is thought to transport various cargo to filopodia tips, modulating filopodia function. However, only a few MYO10 cargoes have been described. Here, using GFP-Trap and BioID approaches combined with mass spectrometry, we…
PP2A methylesterase PME-1 suppresses anoikis and is associated with therapy relapse of PTEN-deficient prostate cancers by Anna Aakula et al.
While organ-confined prostate cancer (PCa) is mostly therapeutically manageable, metastatic progression of PCa remains an unmet clinical challenge. Resistance to anoikis, a form of cell death initiated by cell detachment from the surrounding extracellular matrix, is one of the cellular…
An extracellular receptor tyrosine kinase motif orchestrating intracellular STAT activation by Katri Vaparanta et al.
The ErbB4 receptor isoforms JM-a and JM-b differ within their extracellular juxtamembrane (eJM) domains. Here, ErbB4 isoforms are used as a model to address the effect of structural variation in the eJM domain of receptor tyrosine kinases (RTK) on downstream…
MYO10-filopodia support basement membranes at pre-invasive tumor boundaries by Emilia Peuhu et al.
Ductal carcinoma in situ (DCIS) is a pre-invasive stage of breast cancer. During invasion, the encapsulating DCIS basement membrane (BM) is compromised, and tumor cells invade the surrounding stroma. The mechanisms that regulate functional epithelial BMs in vivo are poorly…
Directed cell migration towards softer environments by Aleksi Isomursu et al.
How cells sense tissue stiffness to guide cell migration is a fundamental question in development, fibrosis and cancer. Although durotaxis-cell migration towards increasing substrate stiffness-is well established, it remains unknown whether individual cells can migrate towards softer environments. Here, using…
MASTL is enriched in cancerous and pluripotent stem cells and influences OCT1/OCT4 levels by Elisa Närvä et al.
MASTL is a mitotic accelerator with an emerging role in breast cancer progression. However, the mechanisms behind its oncogenicity remain largely unknown. Here, we identify a previously unknown role and eminent expression of MASTL in stem cells. MASTL staining from…
Pressure Drives Rapid Burst-Like Coordinated Cellular Motion from 3D Cancer Aggregates by Swetha Raghuraman et al.
A key behavior observed during morphogenesis, wound healing, and cancer invasion is that of collective and coordinated cellular motion. Hence, understanding the different aspects of such coordinated migration is fundamental for describing and treating cancer and other pathological defects. In…