Taking Cell-Matrix Adhesions to the Third Dimension

Abstract

Adhesions between fibroblastic cells and extracellular matrix have been studied extensively in vitro, but little is known about their in vivo counterparts. Here, we characterized the composition and function of adhesions in three-dimensional (3D) matrices derived from tissues or cell culture. "3D-matrix adhesions" differ from focal and fibrillar adhesions characterized on 2D substrates in their content of alpha5beta1 and alphavbeta3 integrins, paxillin, other cytoskeletal components, and tyrosine phosphorylation of focal adhesion kinase (FAK). Relative to 2D substrates, 3D-matrix interactions also display enhanced cell biological activities and narrowed integrin usage. These distinctive in vivo 3D-matrix adhesions differ in structure, localization, and function from classically described in vitro adhesions, and as such they may be more biologically relevant to living organisms.

MT1-MMP promotes cell growth and ERK activation through c-Src and paxillin in three-dimensional collagen matrix

“…3). A previous study by other group demonstrated that ERK activation is independent from the FAK-regulated pathway in fibroblasts cultured in cell-derived 3-D matrix [30]. These results strongly suggest that paxillin may function as a (Fig.…”

An agarose-based microfluidic platform with a gradient buffer for 3D chemotaxis studies

“…In a 3D microenvironment, cells need to either degrade the extracellular matrix (ECM) or squeeze through small pores in amoeboid fashion (Wolf and Friedl 2008), and they may experience chemokine gradients differently, since many are matrix-binding (Patel et al 2001). As a result, cells behave very differently in 3D vs. 2D environments (Behnsen et al 2007;Cukierman et al 2001;Griffith and Swartz 2006;Pedersen and Swartz 2005). Thus, to examine cell migration in a physiologically realistic setting, migration assays need to accurately recapitulate the 3D microenvironment.…”

A theoretical model for fibroblast-controlled growth of saccular cerebral aneurysms

“…Conversely, the ECM influences the development, shape, migration, proliferation, survival, and function of the fibroblasts. The fibroblast belongs to the group of adherent cells, and attaches to the ECM by integrins (Cukierman et al, 2001;Jiang and Grinnell, 2005). The mobility of the fibroblast and its ability to contract the ECM are important properties in the maintenance of the ECM (Barocas et al, 1995;Dembo and Wang, 1999;Eastwood et al, 1998;Friedl and Bröcker, 2000;Friedrichs et al, 2007;Grinnell, 2003;Lo et al, 2000;Poole et al, 2005).…”