Actomyosin contractility and collective migration: may the force be with you

Highlights

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  Collective migration relies on the ability of a multicellular co-ordinated unit to efficiently respond to physical changes in their surrounding matrix.

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  Conversely, migrating cohorts physically alter their microenvironment using mechanical forces.

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  During collective migration, actomyosin contractility acts as a central hub coordinating mechanosensing and mechanotransduction responses.

Abstract

Collective cell migration is essential during physiological processes such as development or wound healing and in pathological conditions such as cancer dissemination. Cells migrating within multicellular tissues experiment different forces which play an intricate role during tissue formation, development and maintenance. How cells are able to respond to these forces depends largely on how they interact with the extracellular matrix. In this review, we focus on mechanics and mechanotransduction in collective migration. In particular, we discuss current knowledge on how cells integrate mechanical signals during collective migration and we highlight actomyosin contractility as a central hub coordinating mechanosensing and mechanotransduction responses.