Small molecule targeting of the actin associating protein tropomyosin Tpm3.1 increases neuroblastoma cell response to inhibition of Rac-mediated multicellular invasion

Abstract

The migration and invasion of cells through tissues in the body is facilitated by a dynamic actin cytoskeleton. The actin-associating protein, tropomyosin Tpm3.1 has emerged to play important roles in cell migration and invasion. To date, investigations have focused on single cell migration and invasion where Tpm3.1 expression is inversely associated with Rac GTPase-mediated cell invasion. While single cell and collective cell invasion have many features in common, collective invasion is additionally impacted by cell–cell adhesion, and the role of Tpm3.1 in collective invasion has not been established. In the present study we have modelled multicellular invasion using neuroblastoma spheroids..