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KMID : 1144120150050030188
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Biomedical Engineering Letters
2015 Volume.5 No. 3 p.188 ~ p.193
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Study on the role of microtubules on T cell migration under confined environments
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Park Hyoung-Jun
Doh Jun-Sang
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Abstract
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Purpose: Migration of T cells is critical for immune surveillance and immune responses. Microtubule is the largest cytoskeleton and it is highly related with cell migration, but the role of microtubule on T cell migration under confined environments, which is an emergent property of interstitial spaces in vivo for leukocyte migration, has not been studied.
Methods: In this study, we first fabricated two different types of microchannels, wide microchannels (WMCs) that only confines T cells in vertical direction, and narrow microchannels (NMCs) that confines T cells in both vertical and horizontal directions. Then, morphology, velocity, and directional persistence of T cells in the different confined conditions were quantitatively analyzed. In addition, pharmacological inhibitors modulating microtubule stability were used to assess the roles of microtubule dynamics on T cell migration under confinement.
Results: T cells within microchannels were tightly confined, exhibiting flattened or elongated morphologies depending on whether they were in WMCs or NMCs. Velocity and directional persistent of T cells increased as the degree of confinement increased. In addition, Taxol-treatment significantly reduced directional persistence of T cells under confined environments. Conclusions Dynamics of microtubule played an important role in the directional persistency of T cells in confined environments.
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KEYWORD
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Cell migration, T cell, Confinement, Microtubule, Pharmacological inhibitor
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