Role Of Filopodia Research Articles

Cell scientist to watch – Guillaume Jacquemet

ABSTRACT Guillaume Jacquemet studied biology at the Université de Reims Champagne-Ardenne in France, before joining the lab of Martin Humphries at the University of Manchester in 2008 as part of a Wellcome-funded four-year PhD studentship. There, he studied cell–matrix interactions and the integrin-mediated regulation of small GTPases. In 2014, Guillaume moved to Turku, Finland for his postdoc with Johanna Ivaska to work on the role of filopodia in cell migration and cancer cell invasion. He set up his own research group, the Cell Migration Lab, at Åbo Akademi University, Turku, in 2019, where in addition to investigating the molecular mechanisms of cancer metastasis and cell migration, he also develops deep-learning-based image analysis tools.

Effect of Calcium Flux on Filopodia of Epithelial Cells

Filopodia are the sensors of a cell and are responsible for directing cell motility. Like “antennae,” they receive signals from both soluble ligands in the extracellular mileau and those attached to the substrate. In the nerve axon, these two aspects of signaling are integrated so as to modulate chemotactic signaling according to the composition of the substrate. The role of filopodia in the modulation is not clear. Although epithelial cells differ from nerve cells in their organization, the same second messengers mediate the filopodia's sensory function. In both cell types, activation of a PKC (protein kinase C) with a tumor promoter inhibited filopodia or caused their dissolution. Because Ca++ selectively activates one subset of PKCs, local Ca++ elevation could activate these isozymes and also thereby decrease filopodia. Previous reports showed contradictory results for Ca++ second messenger, however, in the axon, i.e. positive or negative effects on filopodia. Here, we investigate how filopodia dynamics are affected by calcium. We measured percentage of the cell periphery covered with filopodia and percentage of cells showing filopodia. There is an inhibitor of filopodia in culture media, so that replacing the medium with a buffer increased filopodia. This occurred regardless of whether calcium was present in the buffer or absent. When cells remained in the medium, however, inhibitors of calcium transport caused a decrease in filopodia. Cyclopiazonic acid in Ca++-free buffer typically blocks uptake of Ca++ into the endoplasmic reticulum (ER) and causes net Ca++ efflux. This enhanced filopodia. Restoring extracellular Ca++ in the extracellular buffer after depleting the ER store also enhanced filopodia production. We conclude that filopodia display was sensitive to calcium flux but not to absolute physiologically relevant calcium concentrations. It remains to be determined how calcium flux is detected in epithelial cells.

The role of filopodia in the recognition of nanotopographies

Substrate-exploring functions of filopodia were previously suggested based on cell studies on flat surfaces, but their role in topography sensing especially within nanofibrillar environments remained elusive. Here we have grown highly flexible hairy silicon nanowires on micropatterned islands on otherwise flat glass surfaces and coated them both with the extracellular matrix (ECM) protein fibronectin. This allowed us to visualize how filopodia steer fundamental cell functions such as cell adhesion, spreading, migration and division in the absence of lamellipodia. Shortly after seeding, transient filopodia protrude from the still spherical cells. Once filopodia contact nanowires, they bend and align them, while most filopodia peel off from flat surfaces. A zipping mechanism regulated by traction forces is proposed to explain how force-induced changes in filopodia-substrate contact angles enable topography sensing, including the still elusive phenomenon of contact guidance. Filopodia thus play a central role in steering transient topographic preferences.

Role of Filopodia in HSV-1 Entry into Zebrafish 3-O-Sulfotransferase-3-Expressing Cells

Heparan sulfate proteoglycans (HSPGs) modified by zebrafish (ZF) encoded glucosaminyl 3-O sulfotransferase-3 (3-OST-3) generate a receptor for herpes simplex virus type-1 (HSV-1) entry and spread. In order to elucidate the mechanism by which HSV-1 enters into ZF-3-OST-3 cells, we investigated the mode of viral entry. Under high resolution scanning electron microscopy (SEM), actin cytoskeleton changes were observed by a dramatic increase in the number of filopodia formed during early interactions of HSV-1 with the target cells. While the increase in number was common among all the infected cells, the highest numbers of filopodia was observed in cells expressing the 3-OST-3 modified form of heparan sulfate (HS) encoded either by human or ZF. The levels of viral infection and filopodia induction were reduced with the actin polymerization inhibitors, Cytochalasin-D and Lantriculin B, suggesting an important role for actin reorganization during ZF-3-OST-3 mediated HSV-1 entry. Supporting an interesting possibility of filopodia usage during HSV-1 spread, pre-treatment of cytochalasin D in ZF-3-OST-3 cells drastically reduced virus glycoprotein induced cell fusion. Taken together, our results provide new evidence on the involvement of filopodia during HSV-1 infection of ZF-3-OST-3 cells and confirm a role for modified heparan sulfate in cytoskeleton rearrangement during HSV-1 entry.

Cytoneme-mediated cell-to-cell signaling during development

Cell-to-cell communication is vital for animal tissues and organs to develop and function as organized units. Throughout development, intercellular communication is crucial for the generation of structural diversity, mainly by the regulation of differentiation and growth. During these processes, several signaling molecules function as messengers between cells and are transported from producing to receptor cells. Thus, a tight spatial and temporal regulation of signaling transport is likely to be critical during morphogenesis. Despite much experimental and theoretical work, the question as to how these signals move between cells remains. Cell-to-cell contact is probably the most precise spatial and temporal mechanism for the transference of signaling molecules from the producing to the receiving cells. However, most of these molecules can also function at a distance between cells that are not juxtaposed. Recent research has shown the way in which cells may achieve direct physical contact and communication through actin-based filopodia. In addition, increasing evidence is revealing the role of such filopodia in regulating spatial patterning during development; in this context, the filopodia are referred to as cytonemes. In this review, we highlight recent work concerning the roles of these filopodia in cell signaling during development. The processes that initiate and regulate the formation, orientation and dynamics of cytonemes are poorly understood but are potentially extremely important areas for our knowledge of intercellular communication.

Role of Filopodia in HSV-1 Entry into Zebrafish 3-O-Sulfotransferase-3-Expressing Cells

Background: Heparan sulfate proteoglycans (HSPGs) modified by zebrafish (ZF) encoded glucosaminyl 3-O sulfotransferase-3 (3-OST-3) generate a receptor for herpes simplex virus type-1 (HSV-1) entry and spread. In order to elucidate the mechanism by which HSV-1 enters into ZF-3-OST-3 cells, we investigated the mode of viral entry.Results: Under high resolution scanning electron microscopy (SEM), actin cytoskeleton changes were observed by a dramatic increase in the number of filopodia formed during early interactions of HSV-1 with the target cells. While the increase in number was common among all the infected cells, the highest numbers of filopodia was observed in cells expressing the 3-OST-3 modified form of heparan sulfate (HS) encoded either by human or ZF. The levels of viral infection and filopodia induction were reduced with the actin polymerization inhibitors, Cytochalasin-D and Lantriculin B, suggesting an important role for actin reorganization during ZF-3-OST-3 mediated HSV-1 entry. Supporting an interesting possibility of filopodia usage during HSV-1 spread, pre-treatment of cytochalasin D in ZF-3-OST-3 cells drastically reduced virus glycoprotein induced cell fusion.Conclusions: Taken together, our results provide new evidence on the involvement of filopodia during HSV-1 infection of ZF-3-OST-3 cells and confirm a role for modified heparan sulfate in cytoskeleton rearrangement during HSV-1 entry.

One step ahead: Role of filopodia in adhesion formation during cell migration of keratinocytes

Cell adhesion is an essential prerequisite for cell function and movement. It depends strongly on focal adhesion complexes connecting the extracellular matrix to the actin cytoskeleton. Especially in moving cells focal adhesions are highly dynamic and believed to be formed closely behind the leading edge. Filopodia were thought to act mainly as guiding cues using their tip complexes for elongation. Here we show for keratinocytes a strong dependence of lamellipodial adhesion sites on filopodia. Upon stable contact of the VASP-containing tip spot to the substrate, a filopodial focal complex (filopodial FX) is formed right behind along the filopodia axis. These filopodial FXs are fully assembled, yet small adhesions containing all adhesion markers tested. Filopodial FXs when reached by the lamellipodium are just increased in size resulting in classical focal adhesions. At the same time most filopodia regain their elongation ability. Blocking filopodia inhibits development of new focal adhesions in the lamellipodium, while focal adhesion maturation in terms of vinculin exchange dynamics remains active. Our data therefore argue for a strong spatial and temporal dependence of focal adhesions on filopodial focal complexes in keratinocytes with filopodia not permanently initiated via new clustering of actin filaments to induce elongation.

Three-dimensional reconstruction of synapses and dendritic spines in the rat and ground squirrel hippocampus: New structural-functional paradigms for synaptic function

Published data are reviewed along with our own data on synaptic plasticity and rearrangements of synaptic organelles in the central nervous system. Contemporary laser scanning and confocal microscopy techniques are discussed, along with the use of serial ultrathin sections for in vivo and in vitro studies of dendritic spines, including those addressing relationships between morphological changes and the efficiency of synaptic transmission, especially in conditions of the long-term potentiation model. Different categories of dendritic spines and postsynaptic densities are analyzed, as are the roles of filopodia in originating spines. The role of serial ultrathin sections for unbiased quantitative stereological analysis and three-dimensional reconstruction is assessed. The authors' data on the formation of more than two synapses on single mushroom spines on neurons in hippocampal field CA1 are discussed. Analysis of these data provides evidence for new paradigms in both the organization and functioning of synapses.

Theoretical analysis of gradient detection by growth cones.

Gradients of diffusible and substrate-bound molecules play an important role in guiding axons to appropriate targets in the developing nervous system. Although some of the molecules involved have recently been identified, little is known about the physical mechanisms by which growth cones sense gradients. This article applies the seminal Berg and Purcell (1977) model of gradient sensing to this problem. The model provides estimates for the statistical fluctuations in the measurement of concentration by a small sensing device. By assuming that gradient detection consists of the comparison of concentrations at two spatially or temporally separated points, the model therefore provides an estimate for the steepness of gradient that can be detected as a function of physiological parameters. The model makes the following specific predictions. (a) It is more likely that growth cones use a spatial rather than temporal sensing strategy. (b) Growth cone sensitivity increases with the concentration of ligand, the speed of ligand diffusion, the size of the growth cone, and the time over which it averages the gradient signal. (c) The minimum detectable gradient steepness for growth cones is roughly in the range 1-10%. (d) This value varies depending on whether a bound or freely diffusing ligand is being sensed, and on whether the sensing occurs in three or two dimensions. The model also makes predictions concerning the role of filopodia in gradient detection.

Regulation of neuronal growth cone filopodia by nitric oxide.

Nitric oxide (NO) has been proposed to play an important role during neuronal development. Since many of its effects occur during the time of growth cone pathfinding and target interaction, we here test the hypothesis that part of NO's effects might be exerted at the growth cone. We found that low concentrations of the NO-donors DEA/NO, SIN-1, and SNP caused a rapid and transient elongation of filopodia as well as a reduction in filopodial number. These effects resulted from distinct changes in filopodial extension and retraction rates. Our novel findings suggest that NO could play a physiological role by temporarily changing a growth cone's morphology and switching its behavior from a close-range to a long-range exploratory mode. We subsequently dissected the pathway by which NO acted on growth cones. The effect of NO donors on filopodial length could be blocked by 1H-[1,2,4]oxadiazolo[4,3-a]quinoxalin-1-one, an inhibitor of soluble guanylyl cyclase (sGC), indicating that NO acted via sGC. Supporting this idea, injection of cyclic GMP (cGMP) mimicked the effect of NO donors on growth cone filopodia. Moreover, application of NO-donors as well as injection of cGMP elicited a rapid and transient rise in intracellular calcium in growth cones, indicating that NO acted via cGMP to elevate calcium. This calcium rise, as well as the morphological effects of SIN-1 on filopodia, were blocked by preventing calcium entry. Given the role of filopodia in axonal guidance, our new data suggest that NO could function at the neuronal growth cone as an intracellular and/or intercellular signaling molecule by affecting steering decisions during neuronal pathfinding.

Quantitative assessment of leading edge adhesion: Reattachment kinetics modulated by injury-derived intracellular calcium predict wound closure rates in endothelial monolayers

Migrating cells continually develop new substrate attachments at the leading edge (LE) in order to maintain traction for movement. This study evaluates the relationship between LE adhesion and wound closure by modulating injury-derived intracellular free Ca2+ ([Ca2+]i) signaling in endothelial cell (EC) monolayers following scrape-wounding. These data show that brief treatment with increased extracellular Ca2+ ([Ca2+]e) during wounding accelerated wound area closure rates by 50-65%, while brief treatments with calcium influx inhibitors reduced rates by 30-50%. Fura-2 studies in wounded monolayers indicated supranormal [Ca2+]e during wounding increased (by 52%), while influx-inhibitors decreased (by 36%) the percentage of cells exhibiting elevated plateau [Ca2+]i levels. Quantitative time-lapse interference reflection microscopy (IRM) together with indirect alphavbeta3 integrin immunofluorescence was used to measure the effects of 100 microM Gd3+ and 5 mM [Ca2+]e treatment on fractional LE adhesion after wounding. Influx inhibition blocked development of increased injury-derived LE adhesion. Measurements indicated a linear relationship (r2 = 0.99, 0.98) between LE adhesion, development rates (quantified as an association rate constant) and steady state wound closure rates. Changes in filopodial activity, as indicated by phase contrast microscopy, did not correlate with changes in wound closure rates, but an association existed between the percentile peak [Ca2+]i response and the initiation of filopodial activity, suggesting a role for filopodia in mediating Ca2+-sensitive acceleration. Taken together, our data suggest that injury-derived [Ca2+]i signaling may regulate wound closure rates by an adhesion-mediated mechanism.

Morphological correlates of hormone secretion in the rat adrenal cortex and the role of filopodia.

Rat adrenals in different states of stimulation were examined by transmission electron microscopy following perfusion fixation using an in situ isolated-circulation technique. In unstimulated glands, intracortical capillaries were constricted and the cells of the cortex were pressed closely together with little development of filopodia or intercellular spaces. Glands fixed during the period of operative stress, or following a 1 hr perfusion with Adrenocorticotropic hormone (ACTH) showed that the radially orientated capillaries of the cortex were massively expanded, and the cells of both the glomerulosa and fasciculata exhibited an extensive development of filopodia on their surfaces. These filopodia extended into large intercellular spaces, where they often entered into complex relationships with filopodia from neighboring cells. The development of filopodia by cells of the adrenal cortex was also observed using scanning electron microscope techniques. In cells either incubated with ACTH in vitro or isolated from adrenals of rats treated with ACTH in vivo, the filopodia were numerous, often branched, and could reach as much as 1 micro m in length. In contrast, adrenal cells obtained from animals pretreated with cortisol were smooth surfaced. Other cell characteristics, including mitochondria, smooth endoplasmic reticulum, dense granules, and coated vesicles did not show such dramatic correlations with the state of stimulation. It is considered that the development of filopodia and intercellular space is related to secretory mechanisms in the rat adrenal cortex.