Japanese research found that cell membrane tension controls cell movement

Xinhua news agency, Tokyo, May 6 (reporter LAN Jianzhong) researchers at Kobe University in Japan found that the movement of cells in vivo is controlled by the membrane tension, and confirmed that a protein that can sense the membrane tension plays a role as a sensor in this process, according to a communique released on May 5 This result is the first time to clarify the relationship between membrane tension and cell movement at the molecular level, which will help to detect cancer as early as possible and prevent cancer cell metastasis In order to maintain the normal function of the body, the movement of the cells that make up the body will be properly controlled For example, when a fertilized egg proliferates and differentiates into a mature individual, the movement of the cell is highly controlled, so that the cell is arranged in an appropriate position But if the mechanism that controls cell movement collapses, there will be cell movements like cancer cell metastasis Therefore, it is very important to understand the control mechanism of cell movement for the suppression of malignant tumors The team led by Professor ITO Junshu of the center for biological signal research of Kobe University reported in the new British journal Nature Cell Biology online edition that they used monkeys and human cancer cells to carry out experiments, and found that the protein fbp17 located in the cell membrane, if sensing the weakening of the membrane tension, would focus on the weakening of the tension This kind of protein can bend the cell membrane, stretch the cell membrane to the inner part of the cell, and then determine the direction of cell movement The researchers tried to reduce the concentration of fbp17 protein in monkey and human cancer cells, and the movement of cancer cells stopped, but after adding fbp17 protein, the cancer cells began to move again However, if the added fbp17 protein is artificially modified to lose the ability to bend the cell membrane, the cancer cells will not resume movement According to ITO and others, this study shows that fbp17 protein is indispensable for cell movement, and they infer that there is a difference in membrane tension between normal cells and cancer cells If we can study this clue in depth, it is possible to detect cancer as early as possible according to the strength of membrane tension, or to achieve inhibition of cell movement, so as to prevent cancer cell metastasis.