【摘要】 细胞迁移在个体发育、组织重塑、损伤后再生以及肿瘤发生等过程中发挥着重要作用。细胞迁移过程受钙信号调控,但长期困扰这一领域的一个悖论是,为何引导迁移的细胞前沿区钙信号反而较低。本研究采用高分辨率共聚焦钙离子荧光成像技术,在迁移的成纤维细胞中首次探测到动态微区钙信号——"钙闪烁"(calcium flickers)。钙闪烁富集于细胞迁移前沿,与静态钙离子梯度恰恰相反。产生钙闪烁的分子机制涉及两类钙离子通道,即细胞表面TRPM7牵张激活通道和内质网膜上的IP3受体。在趋化因子PDGF作用下,引导前沿中钙闪烁呈不对称分布,从而促进迁移细胞的转向。研究结果不仅完美地解释了上述悖论,同时揭示了微区钙信号如何通过精细的时空整合调节细胞迁移、趋化反应等复杂的生命过程。更多还原

【Abstract】 Directional movement is a property common to all cell types during development and is critical to tissue remodelling and regeneration after damage. In migrating cells,calcium has a multifunctional role in directional sensing,cytoskeleton redistribution,traction force generation,and relocation of focal adhesions. Here we visualize high-calcium microdomains (‘calcium flickers’) and their patterned activation in migrating human embryonic lung fibroblasts. Calcium flicker activity is dually coupled to membrane tension (by means of TRPM7,a stretch-activated Ca2+-permeant channel of the transient receptor potential superfamily8) and chemoattractant signal transduction (by means of type 2 inositol-1,4,5-trisphosphate receptors). Interestingly,calcium flickers are most active at the leading lamella of migrating cells,displaying a 4:1 front-to-rear polarization opposite to the global calcium gradient. When exposed to a platelet-derived growth factor gradient perpendicular to cell movement,asymmetric calcium flicker activity develops across the lamella and promotes the turning of migrating fibroblasts. These findings show how the exquisite spatiotemporal organization of calcium microdomains can orchestrate complex cellular processes such as cell migration.更多还原