Shape-to-graph mapping method for efficient characterization and classification of complex geometries in biological images.

With the ever-increasing quality and quantity of imaging data in biomedical research comes the demand for computational methodologies that enable efficient and reliable automated extraction of the quantitative information contained within these images. One of the challenges in providing such methodology is the need for tailoring algorithms to the specifics of the data, limiting their areas of application. Here we present a broadly applicable approach to quantification and classification of complex shapes and patterns in biological or other multi-component formations. This approach integrates the mapping of all shape boundaries within an image onto a global information-rich graph and machine learning on the multidimensional measures of the graph. We demonstrated the power of this method by (1) extracting subtle structural differences from visually indistinguishable images in our phenotype rescue experiments using the endothelial tube formations assay, (2) training the algorithm to identify biophysical parameters underlying the formation of different multicellular networks in our simulation model of collective cell behavior, and (3) analyzing the response of U2OS cell cultures to a broad array of small molecule perturbations.

Methods for assessment of membrane protrusion dynamics.

Membrane protrusions are a critical facet of cell function. Mediating fundamental processes such as cell migration, cell-cell interactions, phagocytosis, as well as assessment and remodeling of the cell environment. Different protrusion types and morphologies can promote different cellular functions and occur downstream of distinct signaling pathways. As such, techniques to quantify and understand the inner workings of protrusion dynamics are critical for a comprehensive understanding of cell biology. In this chapter, we describe approaches to analyze cellular protrusions and correlate physical changes in cell morphology with biochemical signaling processes. We address methods to quantify and characterize protrusion types and velocity, mathematical approaches to predictive models of cytoskeletal changes, and implementation of protein engineering and biosensor design to dissect cell signaling driving protrusive activity. Combining these approaches allows cell biologists to develop a comprehensive understanding of the dynamics of membrane protrusions.

Modeling the Excess Cell Surface Stored in a Complex Morphology of Bleb-Like Protrusions.

Cells transition from spread to rounded morphologies in diverse physiological contexts including mitosis and mesenchymal-to-amoeboid transitions. When these drastic shape changes occur rapidly, cell volume and surface area are approximately conserved. Consequently, the rounded cells are suddenly presented with a several-fold excess of cell surface whose area far exceeds that of a smooth sphere enclosing the cell volume. This excess is stored in a population of bleb-like protrusions (BLiPs), whose size distribution is shown by electron micrographs to be skewed. We introduce three complementary models of rounded cell morphologies with a prescribed excess surface area. A 2D Hamiltonian model provides a mechanistic description of how discrete attachment points between the cell surface and cortex together with surface bending energy can generate a morphology that satisfies a prescribed excess area and BLiP number density. A 3D random seed-and-growth model simulates efficient packing of BLiPs over a primary rounded shape, demonstrating a pathway for skewed BLiP size distributions that recapitulate 3D morphologies. Finally, a phase field model (2D and 3D) posits energy-based constitutive laws for the cell membrane, nematic F-actin cortex, interior cytosol, and external aqueous medium. The cell surface is equipped with a spontaneous curvature function, a proxy for the cell surface-cortex couple, that is a priori unknown, which the model "learns" from the thin section transmission electron micrograph image (2D) or the "seed and growth" model image (3D). Converged phase field simulations predict self-consistent amplitudes and spatial localization of pressure and stress throughout the cell for any posited stationary morphology target and cell compartment constitutive properties. The models form a general framework for future studies of cell morphological dynamics in a variety of biological contexts.

Engineered kinase activation reveals unique morphodynamic phenotypes and associated trafficking for Src family isoforms.

The Src kinase family comprises nine homologous members whose distinct expression patterns and cellular distributions indicate that they have unique roles. These roles have not been determined because genetic manipulation has not produced clearly distinct phenotypes, and the kinases' homology complicates generation of specific inhibitors. Through insertion of a modified FK506 binding protein (insertable FKBP12, iFKBP) into the protein kinase isoforms Fyn, Src, Lyn, and Yes, we engineered kinase analogs that can be activated within minutes in living cells (RapR analogs). Combining our RapR analogs with computational tools for quantifying and characterizing cellular dynamics, we demonstrate that Src family isoforms produce very different phenotypes, encompassing cell spreading, polarized motility, and production of long, thin cell extensions. Activation of Src and Fyn led to patterns of kinase translocation that correlated with morphological changes in temporally distinct stages. Phenotypes were dependent on N-terminal acylation, not on Src homology 3 (SH3) and Src homology 2 (SH2) domains, and correlated with movement between a perinuclear compartment, adhesions, and the plasma membrane.

Divergent roles of CAAX motif-signaled posttranslational modifications in the regulation and subcellular localization of Ral GTPases.

The Ras-like small GTPases RalA and RalB are well validated effectors of RAS oncogene-driven human cancer growth, and pharmacologic inhibitors of Ral function may provide an effective anti-Ras therapeutic strategy. Intriguingly, although RalA and RalB share strong overall amino acid sequence identity, exhibit essentially identical structural and biochemical properties, and can utilize the same downstream effectors, they also exhibit divergent and sometimes opposing roles in the tumorigenic and metastatic growth of different cancer types. These distinct biological functions have been attributed largely to sequence divergence in their carboxyl-terminal hypervariable regions. However, the role of posttranslational modifications signaled by the hypervariable region carboxyl-terminal tetrapeptide CAAX motif (C = cysteine, A = aliphatic amino acid, X = terminal residue) in Ral isoform-selective functions has not been addressed. We determined that these modifications have distinct roles and consequences. Both RalA and RalB require Ras converting CAAX endopeptidase 1 (RCE1) for association with the plasma membrane, albeit not with endomembranes, and loss of RCE1 caused mislocalization as well as sustained activation of both RalA and RalB. In contrast, isoprenylcysteine carboxylmethyltransferase (ICMT) deficiency disrupted plasma membrane localization only of RalB, whereas RalA depended on ICMT for efficient endosomal localization. Furthermore, the absence of ICMT increased stability of RalB but not RalA protein. Finally, palmitoylation was critical for subcellular localization of RalB but not RalA. In summary, we have identified striking isoform-specific consequences of distinct CAAX-signaled posttranslational modifications that contribute to the divergent subcellular localization and activity of RalA and RalB.

Ratiometric Imaging Using a Single Dye Enables Simultaneous Visualization of Rac1 and Cdc42 Activation.

Biosensors that report endogenous protein activity in vivo can be based on environment-sensing fluorescent dyes. The dyes can be attached to reagents that bind selectively to a specific conformation of the targeted protein, such that binding leads to a fluorescence change. Dyes that are sufficiently bright for use at low, nonperturbing intracellular concentrations typically undergo changes in intensity rather than the shifts in excitation or emission maxima that would enable precise quantitation through ratiometric imaging. We report here mero199, an environment-sensing dye that undergoes a 33 nm solvent-dependent shift in excitation. The dye was used to generate a ratiometric biosensor of Cdc42 (CRIB199) without the need for additional fluorophores. CRIB199 was used in the same cell with a FRET sensor of Rac1 activation to simultaneously observe Cdc42 and Rac1 activity in cellular protrusions, indicating that Rac1 but not Cdc42 activity was reduced during tail retraction, and specific protrusions had reduced Cdc42 activity. A novel program (EdgeProps) used to correlate localized activation with cell edge dynamics indicated that Rac1 was specifically reduced during retraction.

Dissecting motility signaling through activation of specific Src-effector complexes.

We describe an approach to selectively activate a kinase in a specific protein complex or at a specific subcellular location within living cells and within minutes. This reveals the effects of specific kinase pathways without time for genetic compensation. The new technique, dubbed rapamycin-regulated targeted activation of pathways (RapRTAP), was used to dissect the role of Src kinase interactions with FAK and p130Cas in cell motility and morphodynamics. The overall effects of Src activation on cell morphology and adhesion dynamics were first quantified, without restricting effector access. Subsets of Src-induced behaviors were then attributed to specific interactions between Src and the two downstream proteins. Activation of Src in the cytoplasm versus at the cell membrane also produced distinct phenotypes. The conserved nature of the kinase site modified for RapRTAP indicates that the technique can be applied to many kinases.

Septins provide microenvironment sensing and cortical actomyosin partitioning in motile amoeboid T lymphocytes.

The all-terrain motility of lymphocytes in tissues and tissue-like gels is best described as amoeboid motility. For amoeboid motility, lymphocytes do not require specific biochemical or structural modifications to the surrounding extracellular matrix. Instead, they rely on changing shape and steric interactions with the microenvironment. However, the exact mechanism of amoeboid motility remains elusive. Here, we report that septins participate in amoeboid motility of T cells, enabling the formation of F-actin and α-actinin-rich cortical rings at the sites of cell cortex-indenting collisions with the extracellular matrix. Cortical rings compartmentalize cells into chains of spherical segments that are spatially conformed to the available lumens, forming transient "hourglass"-shaped steric locks onto the surrounding collagen fibers. The steric lock facilitates pressure-driven peristaltic propulsion of cytosolic content by individually contracting cell segments. Our results suggest that septins provide microenvironment-guided partitioning of actomyosin contractility and steric pivots required for amoeboid motility of T cells in tissue-like microenvironments.

Coordinated regulation of Cdc42ep1, actin, and septin filaments during neural crest cell migration.

The septin cytoskeleton has been demonstrated to interact with other cytoskeletal components to regulate various cellular processes, including cell migration. However, the mechanisms of how septin regulates cell migration are not fully understood. In this study, we use the highly migratory neural crest cells of frog embryos to examine the role of septin filaments in cell migration. We found that septin filaments are required for the proper migration of neural crest cells by controlling both the speed and the direction of cell migration. We further determined that septin filaments regulate these features of cell migration by interacting with actin stress fibers. In neural crest cells, septin filaments co-align with actin stress fibers, and the loss of septin filaments leads to impaired stability and contractility of actin stress fibers. In addition, we showed that a partial loss of septin filaments leads to drastic changes in the orientations of newly formed actin stress fibers, suggesting that septin filaments help maintain the persistent orientation of actin stress fibers during directed cell migration. Lastly, our study revealed that these activities of septin filaments depend on Cdc42ep1, which colocalizes with septin filaments in the center of neural crest cells. Cdc42ep1 interacts with septin filaments in a reciprocal manner, with septin filaments recruiting Cdc42ep1 to the cell center and Cdc42ep1 supporting the formation of septin filaments.

Spatiotemporal Coordination of Rac1 and Cdc42 at the Whole Cell Level during Cell Ruffling.

Rho-GTPases are central regulators within a complex signaling network that controls cytoskeletal organization and cell movement. The network includes multiple GTPases, such as the most studied Rac1, Cdc42, and RhoA, along with their numerous effectors that provide mutual regulation through feedback loops. Here we investigate the temporal and spatial relationship between Rac1 and Cdc42 during membrane ruffling, using a simulation model that couples GTPase signaling with cell morphodynamics and captures the GTPase behavior observed with FRET-based biosensors. We show that membrane velocity is regulated by the kinetic rate of GTPase activation rather than the concentration of active GTPase. Our model captures both uniform and polarized ruffling. We also show that cell-type specific time delays between Rac1 and Cdc42 activation can be reproduced with a single signaling motif, in which the delay is controlled by feedback from Cdc42 to Rac1. The resolution of our simulation output matches those of time-lapsed recordings of cell dynamics and GTPase activity. Our data-driven modeling approach allows us to validate simulation results with quantitative precision using the same pipeline for the analysis of simulated and experimental data.

Spatiotemporal coordination of Rac1 and Cdc42 at the whole cell level during cell ruffling.

Rho-GTPases are central regulators within a complex signaling network that controls the cytoskeletal organization and cell movement. This network includes multiple GTPases, such as the most studied Rac1, Cdc42, and RhoA, and their numerous effectors that provide mutual regulation and feedback loops. Here we investigate the temporal and spatial relationship between Rac1 and Cdc42 during membrane ruffling using a simulation model which couples GTPase signaling with cell morphodynamics to capture the GTPase behavior observed with FRET-based biosensors. We show that membrane velocity is regulated by the kinetic rate of GTPase activation rather than the concentration of active GTPase. Our model captures both uniform and polarized ruffling. We also show that cell-type specific time delays between Rac1 and Cdc42 activation can be reproduced with a single signaling motif, in which the delay is controlled by feedback from Cdc42 to Rac1. The resolution of our simulation output matches those of the time-lapsed recordings of cell dynamics and GTPase activity. This approach allows us to validate simulation results with quantitative precision using the same pipeline for the analysis of simulated and experimental data.

Profiling an integrated network of cellular senescence and immune resilience measures in natural aging: a prospective multi-cohort study.

Background: Biological aging begins decades before the onset of age-related clinical conditions and is mediated by both cellular senescence and declining adaptive immune function. These processes are functionally related with the rate of senescent cell accumulation dependent upon a balance between induction and immune clearance. We previously showed that biomarkers in these domains can identify patients at-risk of surgery-related adverse events. Here, we describe evidence of clinical relevance in early aging and metabolic phenotypes in a general adult population. Methods: We enrolled a total of 482 participants (ages 25-90) into two prospective, cross-sectional healthy aging cohorts. Expression of biomarkers of adaptive immune function and cellular senescence (SapereX) was measured in CD3+ T cells isolated from peripheral blood. Findings: We established a network of biomarkers of adaptive immune function that correlate with cellular senescence and associate with early aging phenotypes. SapereX immune components associated with a decrease in CD4+ T cells, an increase in cytotoxic CD8+ T cells, and a loss of CD8+ naïve T cells (Pearson correlation 0.3-0.6). These components also associated with a metric of immune resilience, an ability to withstand antigen challenge and inflammation. In contrast, SapereX components were only weakly associated with GlycanAge (Pearson correlation 0.03-0.15) and commonly used DNA methylation clocks (Pearson correlation 0-0.25). Finally, SapereX biomarkers, in particular p16, were associated with chronic inflammation and metabolic dysregulation. Interpretation: Measurement of SapereX biomarkers may capture essential elements of the relationship between cellular senescence and dysregulated adaptive immune function and may provide a benchmark for clinically relevant health decisions.

Dynein-Powered Cell Locomotion Guides Metastasis of Breast Cancer.

Metastasis is a principal cause of death in cancer patients, which remains an unresolved fundamental and clinical problem. Conventionally, metastatic dissemination is linked to the actomyosin-driven cell locomotion. However, locomotion of cancer cells often does not strictly line up with the measured actomyosin forces. Here, we identify a complementary mechanism of metastatic locomotion powered by the dynein-generated forces. These forces that arise within a non-stretchable microtubule network drive persistent contact guidance of migrating cancer cells along the biomimetic collagen fibers. We also show that dynein-powered locomotion becomes indispensable during invasive 3D migration within a tissue-like luminal network between spatially confining hydrogel microspheres. Our results indicate that the complementary contractile system of dynein motors and microtubules is always necessary and in certain instances completely sufficient for dissemination of metastatic breast cancer cells. These findings advance fundamental understanding of cell locomotion mechanisms and expand the spectrum of clinical targets against metastasis.

Dynein-Powered Cell Locomotion Guides Metastasis of Breast Cancer.

The principal cause of death in cancer patients is metastasis, which remains an unresolved problem. Conventionally, metastatic dissemination is linked to actomyosin-driven cell locomotion. However, the locomotion of cancer cells often does not strictly line up with the measured actomyosin forces. Here, a complementary mechanism of metastatic locomotion powered by dynein-generated forces is identified. These forces arise within a non-stretchable microtubule network and drive persistent contact guidance of migrating cancer cells along the biomimetic collagen fibers. It is also shown that the dynein-powered locomotion becomes indispensable during invasive 3D migration within a tissue-like luminal network formed by spatially confining granular hydrogel scaffolds (GHS) made up of microscale hydrogel particles (microgels). These results indicate that the complementary motricity mediated by dynein is always necessary and, in certain instances, sufficient for disseminating metastatic breast cancer cells. These findings advance the fundamental understanding of cell locomotion mechanisms and expand the spectrum of clinical targets against metastasis.

Septins Enable T Cell Contact Guidance via Amoeboid-Mesenchymal Switch.

Lymphocytes exit circulation and enter in-tissue guided migration toward sites of tissue pathologies, damage, infection, or inflammation. By continuously sensing and adapting to the guiding chemo-mechano-structural properties of the tissues, lymphocytes dynamically alternate and combine their amoeboid (non-adhesive) and mesenchymal (adhesive) migration modes. However, which mechanisms guide and balance different migration modes are largely unclear. Here we report that suppression of septins GTPase activity induces an abrupt amoeboid-to-mesenchymal transition of T cell migration mode, characterized by a distinct, highly deformable integrin-dependent immune cell contact guidance. Surprisingly, the T cell actomyosin cortex contractility becomes diminished, dispensable and antagonistic to mesenchymal-like migration mode. Instead, mesenchymal-like T cells rely on microtubule stabilization and their non-canonical dynein motor activity for high fidelity contact guidance. Our results establish septin's GTPase activity as an important on/off switch for integrin-dependent migration of T lymphocytes, enabling their dynein-driven fluid-like mesenchymal propulsion along the complex adhesion cues.

A quantitative model for age-dependent expression of the p16INK4a tumor suppressor.

Recent work has shown that expression of the p16(INK4a) tumor suppressor increases with chronological age. Expression is accelerated by gerontogenic behaviors such as tobacco use and physical inactivity, and is also influenced by allelic genotype of a polymorphic single nucleotide polymorphism (SNP) rs10757278 that is physically linked with the p16(INK4a) ORF. To understand the relationship between p16(INK4a) expression, chronologic age, subject characteristics and host genetics, we sought to develop a mathematical model that links p16(INK4a) expression with aging. Using an annotated dataset of 170 healthy adults for whom p16(INK4a) expression and subject genotypes were known, we developed two alternative stochastic models that relate p16(INK4a) expression to age, smoking, exercise and rs10757278 genotype. Levels of p16(INK4a) increased exponentially and then saturated at later chronologic ages. The model, which best fit the data, suggests saturation occurs because of p16(INK4a)-dependent attrition of subjects at older chronologic ages, presumably due to death or chronic illness. An important feature of our model is that factors that contribute to death in a non p16(INK4a)-dependent manner do not affect our analysis. Interestingly, tobacco-related increases in p16(INK4a) expression are predicted to arise from a decrease in the rate of p16(INK4a)-dependent death. This analysis is most consistent with the model that p16(INK4a) expression monotonically increases with age, and higher expression is associated with increased subject attrition.

A physical model reveals the mechanochemistry responsible for dynein's processive motion.

The molecular motor dynein is associated with various cellular activities, such as directed transport along microtubules and the rhythmic beating of the axoneme. Because of the size and complexity of the protein, a detailed understanding of the mechanochemistry that drives dynein's processive motion is lacking. To overcome this deficiency, we developed the first (to our knowledge) computational model for two-headed dynein that couples conformational changes of the motor's subunits to the biochemical steps involved in ATP hydrolysis. Analysis of the model provides what we believe are several novel insights into how the protein functions: 1), structural constraints limit the motion of the free microtubule binding domain to one dimension, increasing the efficiency with which this domain finds a binding site; 2), in addition to the power stroke of the bound head, recovery of the free head to a pre-power-stroke conformation is required for this head to reach a forward binding site; 3), the order in which the power stroke and recovery transitions occur affects the probability of back-stepping; and 4), the existence of multiple equilibria in the motor's bending energy provides a mechanism for processive back-stepping. To the best of our knowledge, our computational model provides the first complete mechanochemical description of the motor protein dynein, and the findings presented here should motivate new experimental investigations to test its predictions.

Spatiotemporal development of coexisting wave domains of Rho activity in the cell cortex.

The Rho family GTPases are molecular switches that regulate cytoskeletal dynamics and cell movement through a complex spatiotemporal organization of their activity. In Patiria miniata (starfish) oocytes under in vitro experimental conditions (with overexpressed Ect2, induced expression of Δ90 cyclin B, and roscovitine treatment), such activity generates multiple co-existing regions of coherent propagation of actin waves. Here we use computational modeling to investigate the development and properties of such wave domains. The model reveals that the formation of wave domains requires a balance between the activation and inhibition in the Rho signaling motif. Intriguingly, the development of the wave domains is preceded by a stage of low-activity quasi-static patterns, which may not be readily observed in experiments. Spatiotemporal patterns of this stage and the different paths of their destabilization define the behavior of the system in the later high-activity (observable) stage. Accounting for a strong intrinsic noise allowed us to achieve good quantitative agreement between simulated dynamics in different parameter regimes of the model and different wave dynamics in Patiria miniata and wild type Xenopus laevis (frog) data. For quantitative comparison of simulated and experimental results, we developed an automated method of wave domain detection, which revealed a sharp reversal in the process of pattern formation in starfish oocytes. Overall, our findings provide an insight into spatiotemporal regulation of complex and diverse but still computationally reproducible cell-level actin dynamics.

Correcting Artifacts in Ratiometric Biosensor Imaging; an Improved Approach for Dividing Noisy Signals.

The accuracy of biosensor ratio imaging is limited by signal/noise. Signals can be weak when biosensor concentrations must be limited to avoid cell perturbation. This can be especially problematic in imaging of low volume regions, e.g., along the cell edge. The cell edge is an important imaging target in studies of cell motility. We show how the division of fluorescence intensities with low signal-to-noise at the cell edge creates specific artifacts due to background subtraction and division by small numbers, and that simply improving the accuracy of background subtraction cannot address these issues. We propose a new approach where, rather than simply subtracting background from the numerator and denominator, we subtract a noise correction factor (NCF) from the numerator only. This NCF can be derived from the analysis of noise distribution in the background near the cell edge or from ratio measurements in the cell regions where signal-to-noise is high. We test the performance of the method first by examining two noninteracting fluorophores distributed evenly in cells. This generated a uniform ratio that could provide a ground truth. We then analyzed actual protein activities reported by a single chain biosensor for the guanine exchange factor (GEF) Asef, and a dual chain biosensor for the GTPase Cdc42. The reduction of edge artifacts revealed persistent Asef activity in a narrow band (∼640 nm wide) immediately adjacent to the cell edge. For Cdc42, the NCF method revealed an artifact that would have been obscured by traditional background subtraction approaches.

Bistability in the polarity circuit of yeast.

Cells polarize their growth or movement in many different physiological contexts. A key driver of polarity is the Rho GTPase Cdc42, which when activated becomes clustered or concentrated at polar sites. Multiple models for polarity establishment have been proposed. All of them rely on positive feedback to reinforce regions of high Cdc42 activity. Positive feedback can lead to bistability, a scenario in which cells can exist in either a polarized or unpolarized state under identical external conditions. Determining if the signaling circuit that drives Cdc42 polarity is bistable would provide important information about the mechanism that underlies polarity establishment and insights into the design features required for proper cellular function. We studied polarity establishment during the mating response of yeast. Using microfluidics to precisely control the temporal profile of mating pheromone and live-cell imaging to monitor the polarity process in single living cells, we found that the polarity circuit of yeast shows hysteresis, a characteristic feature of bistable systems. Our analysis also revealed that cells exposed to high pheromone concentrations rapidly lose polarity following a precipitous removal of pheromone. We used a reaction-diffusion model for polarity establishment to demonstrate that delayed negative regulation is sufficient to explain our experimental results. [Media: see text] [Media: see text] [Media: see text] [Media: see text].