biosights: October 29, 2012

The mechanical properties of the extracellular matrix are known to regulate the migration of single cells, but whether substrate stiffness also affects collective cell migration is unclear. Ng et al. reveal that epithelial sheets move faster on stiffer matrices due to increased myosin contractility and mechanical coupling through cell-cell adhesions. This biosights episode presents the paper by Ng et al. from the October 29, 2012, issue of The Journal of Cell Biology and includes an interview with authors Rosa Ng, Gaudenz Danuser, and Joan Brugge (Harvard Medical School, Boston, MA). Produced by Caitlin Sedwick and Ben Short. See the associated paper in JCB for details on the funding provided to support this original research.

Subscribe to biosights via iTunes or RSS View biosights archive

The Rockefeller University Press biosights@rockefeller.edu