WASp triggers mechanosensitive actin patches to facilitate immune cell migration in dense tissues

Gaertner F, Reis-Rodrigues P, de Vries I, Hons M, Aguilera J, Riedl M, Leithner AF, Tasciyan S, Kopf A, Merrin J, Zheden V, Kaufmann W, Hauschild R, Sixt MK. 2022. WASp triggers mechanosensitive actin patches to facilitate immune cell migration in dense tissues. Developmental Cell. 57(1), 47–62.e9.


Journal Article | Published | English

Scopus indexed
Abstract
When crawling through the body, leukocytes often traverse tissues that are densely packed with extracellular matrix and other cells, and this raises the question: How do leukocytes overcome compressive mechanical loads? Here, we show that the actin cortex of leukocytes is mechanoresponsive and that this responsiveness requires neither force sensing via the nucleus nor adhesive interactions with a substrate. Upon global compression of the cell body as well as local indentation of the plasma membrane, Wiskott-Aldrich syndrome protein (WASp) assembles into dot-like structures, providing activation platforms for Arp2/3 nucleated actin patches. These patches locally push against the external load, which can be obstructing collagen fibers or other cells, and thereby create space to facilitate forward locomotion. We show in vitro and in vivo that this WASp function is rate limiting for ameboid leukocyte migration in dense but not in loose environments and is required for trafficking through diverse tissues such as skin and lymph nodes.
Publishing Year
Date Published
2022-01-10
Journal Title
Developmental Cell
Publisher
Cell Press ; Elsevier
Acknowledgement
We thank N. Darwish-Miranda, F. Leite, F.P. Assen, and A. Eichner for advice and help with experiments. We thank J. Renkawitz, E. Kiermaier, A. Juanes Garcia, and M. Avellaneda for critical reading of the manuscript. We thank M. Driscoll for advice on fluorescent labeling of collagen gels. This research was supported by the Scientific Service Units (SSUs) of IST Austria through resources provided by Molecular Biology Services/Lab Support Facility (LSF)/Bioimaging Facility/Electron Microscopy Facility. This work was funded by grants from the European Research Council ( CoG 724373 ) and the Austrian Science Foundation (FWF) to M.S. F.G. received funding from the European Union’s Horizon 2020 research and innovation program under the Marie Skłodowska-Curie grant agreement no. 747687.
Volume
57
Issue
1
Page
47-62.e9
ISSN
eISSN
IST-REx-ID

Cite this

Gaertner F, Reis-Rodrigues P, de Vries I, et al. WASp triggers mechanosensitive actin patches to facilitate immune cell migration in dense tissues. Developmental Cell. 2022;57(1):47-62.e9. doi:10.1016/j.devcel.2021.11.024
Gaertner, F., Reis-Rodrigues, P., de Vries, I., Hons, M., Aguilera, J., Riedl, M., … Sixt, M. K. (2022). WASp triggers mechanosensitive actin patches to facilitate immune cell migration in dense tissues. Developmental Cell. Cell Press ; Elsevier. https://doi.org/10.1016/j.devcel.2021.11.024
Gaertner, Florian, Patricia Reis-Rodrigues, Ingrid de Vries, Miroslav Hons, Juan Aguilera, Michael Riedl, Alexander F Leithner, et al. “WASp Triggers Mechanosensitive Actin Patches to Facilitate Immune Cell Migration in Dense Tissues.” Developmental Cell. Cell Press ; Elsevier, 2022. https://doi.org/10.1016/j.devcel.2021.11.024.
F. Gaertner et al., “WASp triggers mechanosensitive actin patches to facilitate immune cell migration in dense tissues,” Developmental Cell, vol. 57, no. 1. Cell Press ; Elsevier, p. 47–62.e9, 2022.
Gaertner F, Reis-Rodrigues P, de Vries I, Hons M, Aguilera J, Riedl M, Leithner AF, Tasciyan S, Kopf A, Merrin J, Zheden V, Kaufmann W, Hauschild R, Sixt MK. 2022. WASp triggers mechanosensitive actin patches to facilitate immune cell migration in dense tissues. Developmental Cell. 57(1), 47–62.e9.
Gaertner, Florian, et al. “WASp Triggers Mechanosensitive Actin Patches to Facilitate Immune Cell Migration in Dense Tissues.” Developmental Cell, vol. 57, no. 1, Cell Press ; Elsevier, 2022, p. 47–62.e9, doi:10.1016/j.devcel.2021.11.024.
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