Lymph node (LN) stromal cells are critical regulators of immune reactions, yet their responses to different SARS-CoV-2 vaccines remain unexplored. Here, we immunized mice with clinically approved gene- and protein-based COVID-19 vaccines targeting viral spike (S) protein and analyzed the…
RAB5A Promotes Active Fluid Wetting by Reprogramming Breast Cancer Spheroid Mechanics by Grégoire Lemahieu et al.
Unjamming transitions from a solid-like to a fluid-like state are a gateway to breast epithelial cancer invasion. However, the mechanical interplay between phase transitions and dimension transitions, in particular wetting, remains elusive, despite being critical for understanding the onset of…
EPLINα controls integrin recycling from Rab21 endosomes to drive breast cancer cell migration by Niklas Z Jäntti et al.
Epithelial protein lost in neoplasm (EPLIN), an actin-binding protein, has been described as both a tumor promoter and tumor suppressor in different cancers. The roles of EPLIN isoforms (α/β) remain largely unknown and could explain these opposing views. We observed…
Integrin β1 activity controls colony morphology during human pluripotent stem cell state transitions by Maria E Taskinen et al.
Integrin β1-mediated adhesion is dispensable in early mouse embryogenesis (pre-implantation) but indispensable post-implantation, suggesting distinct roles for β1-integrin-mediated adhesions in the naive (pre-implantation) versus primed (post-implantation) pluripotent stem cells (PSCs). We investigated the role of integrin β1 in regulating naive-like…
Dynamic regulation of integrin β1 phosphorylation supports invasion of breast cancer cells by James R W Conway et al.
Integrins provide an essential bridge between cancer cells and the extracellular matrix, playing a central role in every stage of disease progression. Despite the recognized importance of integrin phosphorylation in several biological processes, the regulatory mechanisms and their relevance remained…
mTORC1 shutdown unleashes TFEB to drive triple-negative breast cancer invasion by Michalis Gounis et al.
The PI3K/AKT/mTOR pathway is considered a key therapeutic target in triple-negative breast cancer (TNBC). In this issue of Developmental Cell, Remy et al. challenge this idea by demonstrating that mTORC1 inhibition activates TFEB, promoting MT1-MMP exocytosis, ECM degradation, and increased…
Defined extracellular matrix compositions support stiffness-insensitive cell spreading and adhesion signaling by James R W Conway et al.
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…