The endothelial cytoskeleton is a barrier for leukocyte transendothelial migration (TEM). Mononuclear and polymorphonuclear leukocytes generate gaps of similar micron-scale size when squeezing through inflamed endothelial barriers in vitro and in vivo. To elucidate how leukocytes squeeze through these barriers, we co-tracked the endothelial actin filaments and leukocyte nuclei in real time. Nuclear squeezing involved either preexistent or de novo-generated lobes inserted into the leukocyte lamellipodia. Leukocyte nuclei reversibly bent the endothelial actin stress fibers. Surprisingly, formation of both paracellular gaps and transcellular pores by squeezing leukocytes did not require Rho kinase or myosin II-mediated endothelial contractility. Electron-microscopic analysis suggested that nuclear squeezing displaced without condensing the endothelial actin filaments. Blocking endothelial actin turnover abolished leukocyte nuclear squeezing, whereas increasing actin filament density did not. We propose that leukocyte nuclei must disassemble the thin endothelial actin filaments interlaced between endothelial stress fibers in order to complete TEM.

No abstract

The three-dimensional organization of chromatin contributes to transcriptional control, but information about native chromatin distribution is limited. Imaging chromatin in live Drosophila larvae, with preserved nuclear volume, revealed that active and repressed chromatin separates from the nuclear interior and forms a peripheral layer underneath the nuclear lamina. This is in contrast to the current view that chromatin distributes throughout the nucleus. Furthermore, peripheral chromatin organization was observed in distinct Drosophila tissues, as well as in live human effector T lymphocytes and neutrophils. Lamin A/C up-regulation resulted in chromatin collapse toward the nuclear center and correlated with a significant reduction in the levels of active chromatin. Physical modeling suggests that binding of lamina-associated domains combined with chromatin self-attractive interactions recapitulate the experimental chromatin distribution profiles. Together, our findings reveal a novel mode of mesoscale organization of peripheral chromatin sensitive to lamina composition, which is evolutionary conserved.

Nowadays, personalized cancer therapy relies on small molecules, monoclonal antibodies, or antibody–drug conjugates (ADC). Many nanoparticle (NP)-based drug delivery systems are also actively investigated, but their advantage over ADCs has not been demonstrated yet. Here, using the Avidin-Nucleic-Acid-Nano-Assemblies (ANANAS), a class of polyavidins multifuctionalizable with stoichiometric control, we compare quantitatively anti-EGFR antibody(cetuximab)-targeted NPs to the corresponding ADC. We show that ANANAS tethering of cetuximab promotes a more efficient EGFR-dependent vesicle-mediated internalization. Cetuximab-guided ANANAS carrying doxorubicin are more cytotoxic in vitro and much more potent in vivo than the corresponding ADC, leading to 43% tumor reduction at low drug dosage (0.56 mg/kg). Advantage of cetuximab-guided ANANAS with respect to the ADC goes beyond the increase in drug-to-antibody ratio. Even if further studies are needed, we propose that NP tethering could expand application of the anti-EGFR antibody to a wider number of cancer patients including the KRAS-mutated ones, currently suffering from poor prognosis.