Vimentin bridges scales to convert polarized cell locomotion into coordinated collective migration

Abstract

Collective cell migration is central in development and disease. Vimentin is an intermediate filament protein expressed by epithelial cells at the edge of wounds where collective cell migration is most efficient. Yet, its functional role in this context remains underexplored. Here, we show that vimentin, overexpressed in cells undergoing partial epithelial-to-mesenchymal transition at the edge of epithelial monolayers, has a multiscale impact on the whole monolayer mechano-dynamics. Vimentin knockdown delays wound closure and reduces cell coordination, while increasing traction forces exerted by cells on the substratum. It also disrupts the directionality of leader cell migration, as well as the cohesion and coordinated motion of cells deep in the monolayer. We further show that vimentin promotes the conversion of polarized cell locomotion into coordinated collective migration by polarizing actin, focal adhesions, and traction forces, sustaining leader cells’ lamellipodium protrusive activity and directionality, while allowing mechanical coupling of leader with follower cells. Altogether, we show that vimentin is essential for bridging polarized single-cell locomotion and coordinated collective migration to allow efficient collective migration.

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BibTeX RIS

BibTeX

@article{peneti2026vimentin,
  title = {{Vimentin bridges scales to convert polarized cell locomotion into coordinated collective migration}},
  author = {Sudheer Kumar Peneti and Satish Babu Moparthi and Clémence Thiant and Joseph d'Alessandro and Lucas Anger and Ranjith Chilupuri and Tien Dang and Manon Arnaud and Julia Eckert and Stéphane Vassilopoulos and Benoit Ladoux and René-Marc Mège},
  journal = {Molecular Biology of the Cell},
  year = {2026},
  month = oct,
  doi = {10.1091/mbc.e26-01-0052},
  url = {https://hal.science/hal-05794754v1},
  note = {CC BY-NC-SA 4.0},
}

RIS

TY  - JOUR
TI  - Vimentin bridges scales to convert polarized cell locomotion into coordinated collective migration
AU  - Sudheer Kumar Peneti
AU  - Satish Babu Moparthi
AU  - Clémence Thiant
AU  - Joseph d'Alessandro
AU  - Lucas Anger
AU  - Ranjith Chilupuri
AU  - Tien Dang
AU  - Manon Arnaud
AU  - Julia Eckert
AU  - Stéphane Vassilopoulos
AU  - Benoit Ladoux
AU  - René-Marc Mège
PY  - 2026
DA  - 2026/10/01
JO  - Molecular Biology of the Cell
DO  - 10.1091/mbc.e26-01-0052
UR  - https://hal.science/hal-05794754v1
AB  - Collective cell migration is central in development and disease. Vimentin is an intermediate filament protein expressed by epithelial cells at the edge of wounds where collective cell migration is most efficient. Yet, its functional role in this context remains underexplored. Here, we show that vimentin, overexpressed in cells undergoing partial epithelial-to-mesenchymal transition at the edge of epithelial monolayers, has a multiscale impact on the whole monolayer mechano-dynamics. Vimentin knockdown delays wound closure and reduces cell coordination, while increasing traction forces exerted by cells on the substratum. It also disrupts the directionality of leader cell migration, as well as the cohesion and coordinated motion of cells deep in the monolayer. We further show that vimentin promotes the conversion of polarized cell locomotion into coordinated collective migration by polarizing actin, focal adhesions, and traction forces, sustaining leader cells’ lamellipodium protrusive activity and directionality, while allowing mechanical coupling of leader with follower cells. Altogether, we show that vimentin is essential for bridging polarized single-cell locomotion and coordinated collective migration to allow efficient collective migration.
SN  - 1059-1524
SN  - 1939-4586
ER  -

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