Spreading dynamics and wetting transition of cellular aggregates

We study the spreading of spheroidal aggregates of cells, expressing a tunable level of E-cadherin molecules, on glass substrates decorated with mixed fibronectin and polyethylene glycol. We observe the contact area by optical interferometry and the profile by side-view microscopy. We find a univers...

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Bibliographic Details
Published in:Proceedings of the National Academy of Sciences - PNAS 2011-05, Vol.108 (18), p.7315-7320
Main Authors: Douezan, Stéphane, Guevorkian, Karine, Naouar, Randa, Dufour, Sylvie, Cuvelier, Damien, Brochard-Wyart, Françoise, Brézin, Edouard
Format: Article
Language:English
Subjects:
Biological Sciences
Cadherins
Cadherins - metabolism
Cell adhesion
Cell Adhesion - physiology
Cell aggregates
Cell lines
Cell Movement - physiology
Cells
Cells, Cultured
Fibronectins
Gases
Gene expression
Interfacial tension
Interferometry - methods
Life Sciences
Liquids
Material films
Moire interferometry
Molecules
Movies
Physical Sciences
Physics
Polyethylene glycol
Polyethylene Glycols
Studies
Tumors
Viscosity
Wetting
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Summary:We study the spreading of spheroidal aggregates of cells, expressing a tunable level of E-cadherin molecules, on glass substrates decorated with mixed fibronectin and polyethylene glycol. We observe the contact area by optical interferometry and the profile by side-view microscopy. We find a universal law of aggregate spreading at short times, which we interpret through an analogy with the spreading of viscoelastic droplets. At long times, we observe either partial wetting or complete wetting, with a precursor film of cells spreading around the aggregate with two possible states. In strongly cohesive aggregates this film is a cellular monolayer in the liquid state, whereas in weakly cohesive aggregates, cells escape from the aggregate, forming a 2D gas. The escape of isolated cells is a physical mechanism that appears also to be present in the progression of a noninvasive tumor into a metastatic malignant carcinoma, known as the epithelial-mesenchymal transition.
ISSN:0027-8424
1091-6490
DOI:10.1073/pnas.1018057108