Oncogene-like induction of cellular invasion from centrosome amplification.

Centrosome amplification has long been recognized as a feature of human tumours; however, its role in tumorigenesis remains unclear. Centrosome amplification is poorly tolerated by non-transformed cells and, in the absence of selection, extra centrosomes are spontaneously lost. Thus, the high frequency of centrosome amplification, particularly in more aggressive tumours, raises the possibility that extra centrosomes could, in some contexts, confer advantageous characteristics that promote tumour progression. Using a three-dimensional model system and other approaches to culture human mammary epithelial cells, we find that centrosome amplification triggers cell invasion. This invasive behaviour is similar to that induced by overexpression of the breast cancer oncogene ERBB2 (ref. 4) and indeed enhances invasiveness triggered by ERBB2. Our data indicate that, through increased centrosomal microtubule nucleation, centrosome amplification increases Rac1 activity, which disrupts normal cell-cell adhesion and promotes invasion. These findings demonstrate that centrosome amplification, a structural alteration of the cytoskeleton, can promote features of malignant transformation.

A polarised population of dynamic microtubules mediates homeostatic length control in animal cells.

Because physical form and function are intimately linked, mechanisms that maintain cell shape and size within strict limits are likely to be important for a wide variety of biological processes. However, while intrinsic controls have been found to contribute to the relatively well-defined shape of bacteria and yeast cells, the extent to which individual cells from a multicellular animal control their plastic form remains unclear. Here, using micropatterned lines to limit cell extension to one dimension, we show that cells spread to a characteristic steady-state length that is independent of cell size, pattern width, and cortical actin. Instead, homeostatic length control on lines depends on a population of dynamic microtubules that lead during cell extension, and that are aligned along the long cell axis as the result of interactions of microtubule plus ends with the lateral cell cortex. Similarly, during the development of the zebrafish neural tube, elongated neuroepithelial cells maintain a relatively well-defined length that is independent of cell size but dependent upon oriented microtubules. A simple, quantitative model of cellular extension driven by microtubules recapitulates cell elongation on lines, the steady-state distribution of microtubules, and cell length homeostasis, and predicts the effects of microtubule inhibitors on cell length. Together this experimental and theoretical analysis suggests that microtubule dynamics impose unexpected limits on cell geometry that enable cells to regulate their length. Since cells are the building blocks and architects of tissue morphogenesis, such intrinsically defined limits may be important for development and homeostasis in multicellular organisms.

The variant senescence-associated secretory phenotype induced by centrosome amplification constitutes a pathway that activates hypoxia-inducible factor-1α.

The senescence-associated secretory phenotype (SASP) can promote paracrine invasion while suppressing tumour growth, thus generating complex phenotypic outcomes. Likewise, centrosome amplification can induce proliferation arrest yet also facilitate tumour invasion. However, the eventual fate of cells with centrosome amplification remains elusive. Here, we report that centrosome amplification induces a variant of SASP, which constitutes a pathway activating paracrine invasion. The centrosome amplification-induced SASP is non-canonical as it lacks the archetypal detectable DNA damage and prominent NF-κB activation, but involves Rac activation and production of reactive oxygen species. Consequently, it induces hypoxia-inducible factor 1α and associated genes, including pro-migratory factors such as ANGPTL4. Of note, cellular senescence can either induce tumourigenesis through paracrine signalling or conversely suppress tumourigenesis through p53 induction. By analogy, centrosome amplification-induced SASP may therefore be one reason why extra centrosomes promote malignancy in some experimental models but are neutral in others.

Tao-1 is a negative regulator of microtubule plus-end growth.

Microtubule dynamics are dominated by events at microtubule plus ends as they switch between discrete phases of growth and shrinkage. Through their ability to generate force and direct polar cell transport, microtubules help to organise global cell shape and polarity. Conversely, because plus-end binding proteins render the dynamic instability of individual microtubules sensitive to the local intracellular environment, cyto-architecture also affects the overall distribution of microtubules. Despite the importance of plus-end regulation for understanding microtubule cytoskeletal organisation and dynamics, little is known about the signalling mechanisms that trigger changes in their behaviour in space and time. Here, we identify a microtubule-associated kinase, Drosophila Tao-1, as an important regulator of microtubule stability, plus-end dynamics and cell shape. Active Tao-1 kinase leads to the destabilisation of microtubules. Conversely, when Tao-1 function is compromised, rates of cortical-induced microtubule catastrophe are reduced and microtubules contacting the actin cortex continue to elongate, leading to the formation of long microtubule-based protrusions. These data reveal a role for Tao-1 in controlling the dynamic interplay between microtubule plus ends and the actin cortex in the regulation of cell form.

Plasma microcontact patterning (PµCP): a technique for the precise control of surface patterning at small-scale.

Plasma microcontact patterning (PµCP) is a simple, efficient, and cost-effective method for the precise patterning of molecules on surfaces. It combines the use of low-pressure plasma with an elastomeric 3D mask to spatially control the removal of molecules, such as proteins, from a surface. The entire PµCP process is subdivided into three main steps: surface precoating, plasma micropatterning, and a surface postcoating step. Surfaces are first precoated with a molecular species and then placed in close contact with the 3D mask. This allows the formation of two distinct regions: an un-masked open-region which is accessible to the plasma, from which the surface layer is removed, and, a contact region which is physically protected from exposure to the plasma. In the final step, a second molecule is added to back-fill the pattern generated through plasma-treatment. The PµCP technique allows the patterning of virtually any organic molecules on different surface materials and geometries (e.g., flat, curved surfaces, and 3D microstructures). Moreover, it is a simple and robust procedure. The main advantages of this approach over traditional microcontact printing are twofold: The stability of molecule binding to plasma-treated surfaces, and the separation of the surface functionalization step from the actual micropatterning step, which enables the precise control of concentration and uniformity of patterned molecules. In conclusion, PµCP is a simple way to generate surface patterns that are highly reproducible, stable and uniform, making it a useful method for many applications.

Mitotic rounding alters cell geometry to ensure efficient bipolar spindle formation.

Accurate animal cell division requires precise coordination of changes in the structure of the microtubule-based spindle and the actin-based cell cortex. Here, we use a series of perturbation experiments to dissect the relative roles of actin, cortical mechanics, and cell shape in spindle formation. We find that, whereas the actin cortex is largely dispensable for rounding and timely mitotic progression in isolated cells, it is needed to drive rounding to enable unperturbed spindle morphogenesis under conditions of confinement. Using different methods to limit mitotic cell height, we show that a failure to round up causes defects in spindle assembly, pole splitting, and a delay in mitotic progression. These defects can be rescued by increasing microtubule lengths and therefore appear to be a direct consequence of the limited reach of mitotic centrosome-nucleated microtubules. These findings help to explain why most animal cells round up as they enter mitosis.

Asymmetric mode of Ca²âº-S100A4 interaction with nonmuscle myosin IIA generates nanomolar affinity required for filament remodeling.

Filament assembly of nonmuscle myosin IIA (NMIIA) is selectively regulated by the small Ca²âº-binding protein, S100A4, which causes enhanced cell migration and metastasis in certain cancers. Our NMR structure shows that an S100A4 dimer binds to a single myosin heavy chain in an asymmetrical configuration. NMIIA in the complex forms a continuous helix that stretches across the surface of S100A4 and engages the Ca²âº-dependent binding sites of each subunit in the dimer. Synergy between these sites leads to a very tight association (K(D) ∼1 nM) that is unique in the S100 family. Single-residue mutations that remove this synergy weaken binding and ameliorate the effects of S100A4 on NMIIA filament assembly and cell spreading in A431 human epithelial carcinoma cells. We propose a model for NMIIA filament disassembly by S100A4 in which initial binding to the unstructured NMIIA tail initiates unzipping of the coiled coil and disruption of filament packing.