Chapter 2 - Migrasome in cell movement: new horizon for cell signaling

Abstract

In response to various types of environmental cues, cells migrate vigorously. Cell migration participates in a plethora of cellular events, such as embryogenesis, wound healing, immunosurveillance, and cancer metastasis. Typically, when cells migrate on the substratum in vitro or the surrounding tissues in vivo, the cell bodies retract at their rear ends and leave behind long tubular membranous projection tethers (retraction fibers, diameter ∼50nm). Recently, a new subcellular structure named migrasome was discovered and endorsed as a novel migration-dependent organelle. In this original paper from Li Yu lab, Ma et al. found that significant numbers of migrasomes can form on the distal ends or intersections of retraction fibers. It should be noted that retraction fibers and/or similar vesicular migrasome-like structures were observed much earlier. Yet these structures received inadequate attention, possibly due to technical limitations and the concerns that they were merely passively dumped cell remnants or even artifacts caused by in vitro tissue cultural environments. Nevertheless, Li Yu group and others explicitly proved over the years that the retraction fiber–attached migrasomes ubiquitously exist not only in 2D cultures, but also in 3D cell culture matrix and, most importantly, live animals. Thus, migrasomal studies are currently at their best times.