LAUSR

The individual contributions of E- and N-cadherin junctions in collective cell migration, especially in the context of cells transitioning between epithelial and mesenchymal states during cancer progression, are controversial. This study aims to clarify the respective roles of these two cell adherens junction proteins using a combination of imaging of collectively migrating cells and a computational model of spreading behavior. The data, obtained by confinement and release of cells micropatterned on a surface, are used to develop a new model that reveals the mechanical contributions of E- and N-cadherin on cell migration. The study demonstrates and validates that disrupting E- and N-cadherin cellular contacts leads to a reduction in spreading efficiency of the cell collective, a result of interest to the field of metastatic cancer research.