Label-Free Automated Cell Tracking: Analysis of the Role of E-cadherin Expression in Collective Electrotaxis
October 2016
in “
Cellular and Molecular Bioengineering
”
TLDR E-cadherin is important for cell movement in electric fields, and the new tracking method works well.
The study developed a label-free, automated algorithm to track individual epithelial cells within a moving cluster, focusing on the role of E-cadherin in collective electrotaxis. Using MCF-10A breast epithelial cells, it was found that partial E-cadherin knockdown reduced electrotactic potential, with control cells showing 16% higher directedness than those with reduced E-cadherin. Additionally, isolated cells with decreased E-cadherin reoriented 60% faster in an electric field, indicating an adhesion-independent role of E-cadherin in electrotaxis. This research highlighted the significance of E-cadherin in cell migration and demonstrated the effectiveness of the automated tracking algorithm for studying collective migration.
