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Modeled microgravity causes changes in the cytoskeleton and focal adhesions, and decreases in migration in malignant human MCF-7 cells

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Abstract

Because cells are sensitive to mechanical forces, microgravity might act on stress-dependent cell changes. Regulation of focal adhesions (FAs) and cytoskeletal activity plays a role in cell maintenance, cell movement, and migration. Human MCF-7 cells were exposed to modeled microgravity (MMG) to test the hypothesis that migration responsiveness to microgravity is associated with cytoskeleton and FA anomalies. MMG acts on MCF-7 cells by disorganizing cytoskeleton filaments (microfilaments and microtubules). Microfilaments in MMG did not display their typical radial array. Likewise, microtubules were disrupted in MCF-7 cells within 4 h of initiation of MMG and were partly reestablished by 48 h. FAs generated in microgravity were less mature than those established in controls, shown by reduced FAs number and clustering. In parallel, MMG decreased kinases activity (such as FAK, PYK2, and ILK) of FAs in MCF-7 cells. The expression of both integrinβ1 and integrinβ4 were downregulated by MMG. We conclude that cytoskeletal alterations and FAs changes in MMG are concomitant with cell invasion and migration retardation. We suggest that reduced migration response in MCF-7 cells following MMG is linked to changes of cytoskeleton and FAs.

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Abbreviations

MMG:

Modeled microgravity

NG:

Normal gravity

FAs:

Focal adhesions

ECM:

Extracellular matrix

FAK:

Focal adhesion kinase

PYK2:

Proline-rich tyrosine kinase 2

ILK:

Integrin-linked kinase

VN:

Mean vinculin spot number per cell

VA:

Mean vinculin spot area

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Acknowledgments

We would like to thank Dr. Bing Wang and Dr. Mingzhu Zhai for technical assistance. Confocal laser scanning microscopy was performed at the Department of Anatomy and K.K. Leung Brain Research Center, the Fourth Military Medical University (FMMU), PR China.

Conflict of interest

The authors declare that they have no conflict of interest. There is no financial or other relationship that might be perceived as leading to a conflict of interest.

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Authors and Affiliations

  1. Department of Traditional Chinese Medicine, Xijing Hospital, Fourth Military Medical University, Xi’an, Shaanxi Province, 710032, People’s Republic of China

    Jing Li & Zongren Wang

  2. The Key Laboratory of Aerospace Medicine, Chinese Ministry of Education, Fourth Military Medical University, Xi’an, 710032, People’s Republic of China

    Shu Zhang

  3. Department of Acupuncture and Moxibustion, Traditional Chinese Medicine University of Shaanxi Province, Xianyang, Shaanxi Province, 712046, People’s Republic of China

    Jun Chen

  4. Department of Aerospace Biodynamics, Faculty of Aerospace Medicine, Fourth Military Medical University, Xi’an, 710032, People’s Republic of China

    Tingyuan Du & Yongchun Wang

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  1. Jing Li
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Correspondence to Zongren Wang.

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Li, J., Zhang, S., Chen, J. et al. Modeled microgravity causes changes in the cytoskeleton and focal adhesions, and decreases in migration in malignant human MCF-7 cells. Protoplasma 238, 23–33 (2009). https://doi.org/10.1007/s00709-009-0068-1

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