Lymphocytes can self-steer passively with wind vane uropods

Marie-Pierre Valignat (1) , Paulin Nègre (1) , Sophie Cadra (1) , Annemarie C Lellouch (1) , Francois Gallet (2) , Sylvie Henon (2) , Olivier Theodoly (1)

1 LAI - Adhésion et Inflammation
2 MSC - Matière et Systèmes Complexes

A wide variety of cells migrate directionally in response to chemical or mechanical cues, however the mechanisms involved in cue detection and translation into directed movement are debatable. Here, we investigate a model of lymphocyte migration on the inner surface of blood vessels. Cells orient their migration against fluid flow, suggesting the existence of an adaptive mechano-tranduction mechanism. We find that flow detection may not require molecular mechano-sensors of shear stress and detection of flow direction can be achieved by the orientation in the flow of the non-adherent cell rear, the uropod. Uropods act as microscopic wind vanes that can transmit detection of flow direction into cell steering via the on-going machinery of polarity maintenance, without need for novel internal guidance signalling triggered by flow. Contrary to chemotaxis, which implies active regulation of cue-dependant signalling, upstream flow mechanotaxis of lymphocytes may only rely on a passive self-steering mechanism.

Mots clés: cell migration; lymphocyte; guiding; mechanotransduction; mechanotaxis; uropod; self-steering; Motility; Integrin; cell migration

Domaines: Biophysique [physics.bio-ph]; Immunité adaptative

Marie-Pierre Valignat, Paulin Nègre, Sophie Cadra, Annemarie C Lellouch, Francois Gallet, et al.. Lymphocytes can self-steer passively with wind vane uropods. Nature Communications, 2014, 5, pp.5213. ⟨10.1038/ncomms6213⟩. ⟨hal-01086070⟩