Unleashing Cancer Cells on Surfaces Exposing Motogenic IGDQ Peptides

Small. 2016 Jan 20;12(3):321-9. doi: 10.1002/smll.201501963. Epub 2015 Nov 19.

Abstract

Thiolated peptides bearing the Ile-Gly-Asp (IGD) motif, a highly conserved sequence of fibronectin, are used for the preparation of anisotropic self-assembled monolayers (SAM gradients) to study the whole-population migratory behavior of metastatic breast cancer cells (MDA-MB-231 cells). Ile-Gly-Asp-Gln-(IGDQ)-exposing SAMs sustain the adhesion of MDA-MB-231 cells by triggering focal adhesion kinase phosphorylation, similarly to the analogous Gly-Arg-Gly-Asp-(GRGD)-terminating surfaces. However, the biological responses of different cell lines interfaced with the SAM gradients show that only those exposing the IGDQ sequence induce significant migration of MDA-MB-231 cells. In particular, the observed migratory behavior suggests the presence of cell subpopulations associated with a "stationary" or a "migratory" phenotype, the latter determining a considerable cell migration at the sub-cm length scale. These findings are of great importance as they suggest for the first time an active role of biological surfaces exposing the IGD motif in the multicomponent orchestration of cellular signaling involved in the metastatic progression.

Keywords: IGD motifs; cancer cells; cell migration; chemical gradients; peptide SAMs.

Publication types

  • Research Support, Non-U.S. Gov't

MeSH terms

  • Cell Line, Tumor
  • Cell Movement / drug effects
  • Gold / chemistry
  • Humans
  • Microscopy, Confocal
  • Neoplasms / pathology*
  • Peptides / chemistry
  • Peptides / pharmacology*
  • Surface Properties
  • Water / chemistry

Substances

  • Peptides
  • Water
  • Gold