Cell migration enables essential processes such as wound healing, but also gives legs to cells during metastasis. In the October Developmental Cell, Shiro Suetsugu et al. take a close look at how cells move. Shown is a migrating mouse fibroblast induced to migrate with platelet-derived growth factor. The cell is stained for actin (blue), matrix metalloproteinase-2 (MMP-2; red) and WASP family verprolin-homologous protein-2 (WAVE-2; green). During migration, MMP-2 and other proteases degrade the extracellular matrix, breaking the way for the leading edge of the cell. At this leading edge, WAVE proteins activate the Arp-2/3 complex, which nucleates actin and causes rapid polymerization. These processes precede lamellipodium extension and attachment to the substratum, which create a scaffold for the next step of leading-edge extension. The investigators found that WAVE-2 is essential for leading-edge extension and directed migration. Another protein, WAVE-1, colocalizes with MMP-2 and is essential for MMP-dependent migration in the extracellular matrix. The researchers are now investigating the role of WAVE proteins in metastasis.

Credit: Reprinted with permission from Elsevier Science