Modeling the Transitions between Collective and Solitary Migration Phenotypes in Cancer Metastasis

Sci Rep. 2015 Dec 2:5:17379. doi: 10.1038/srep17379.

Abstract

Cellular plasticity during cancer metastasis is a major clinical challenge. Two key cellular plasticity mechanisms -Epithelial-to-Mesenchymal Transition (EMT) and Mesenchymal-to-Amoeboid Transition (MAT) - have been carefully investigated individually, yet a comprehensive understanding of their interconnections remains elusive. Previously, we have modeled the dynamics of the core regulatory circuits for both EMT (miR-200/ZEB/miR-34/SNAIL) and MAT (Rac1/RhoA). We now extend our previous work to study the coupling between these two core circuits by considering the two microRNAs (miR-200 and miR-34) as external signals to the core MAT circuit. We show that this coupled circuit enables four different stable steady states (phenotypes) that correspond to hybrid epithelial/mesenchymal (E/M), mesenchymal (M), amoeboid (A) and hybrid amoeboid/mesenchymal (A/M) phenotypes. Our model recapitulates the metastasis-suppressing role of the microRNAs even in the presence of EMT-inducing signals like Hepatocyte Growth Factor (HGF). It also enables mapping the microRNA levels to the transitions among various cell migration phenotypes. Finally, it offers a mechanistic understanding for the observed phenotypic transitions among different cell migration phenotypes, specifically the Collective-to-Amoeboid Transition (CAT).

Publication types

  • Research Support, Non-U.S. Gov't
  • Research Support, U.S. Gov't, Non-P.H.S.

MeSH terms

  • Animals
  • Cell Movement*
  • Epithelial-Mesenchymal Transition*
  • Humans
  • MicroRNAs / genetics
  • MicroRNAs / metabolism
  • Models, Biological*
  • Neoplasm Proteins / genetics
  • Neoplasm Proteins / metabolism
  • Neoplasms / genetics
  • Neoplasms / metabolism*
  • Neoplasms / pathology
  • RNA, Neoplasm / genetics
  • RNA, Neoplasm / metabolism

Substances

  • MIRN200 microRNA, human
  • MIRN34 microRNA, human
  • MicroRNAs
  • Neoplasm Proteins
  • RNA, Neoplasm