Tropomyosin Tpm 2.1 loss induces glioblastoma spreading in soft brain-like environments

Abstract

Introduction: The brain is a very soft tissue. Glioblastoma (GBM) brain tumours are highly infiltrative into the surrounding healthy brain tissue and invasion mechanisms that have been defined using rigid substrates therefore may not apply to GBM dissemination. GBMs characteristically lose expression of the high molecular weight tropomyosins, a class of actin-associating proteins and essential regulators of the actin stress fibres and focal adhesions that underpin cell migration on rigid substrates. Methods: Here, we investigated how loss of the high molecular weight tropomyosins affects GBM on soft matrices that recapitulate the biomechanical architecture of the brain. Results: We find that..