Collective Cell Migration: “All for One and One for All”

Abstract

Cell migration is a key mechanism during neural development, as it allows cells to reach their final destination from their birthplace. In some cases, cells migrate in isolation, whereas in others they migrate in collectives, as chains, streams, clusters, or sheets. The coordinated and timely process of collective migration eventually ensures the proper organization of the nervous system and its misregulation leads to severe diseases, including neurological disorders. This review impinges upon the cellular and molecular interactions underlying collective cell migration in animal models, and highlights the recent advances made through in vivo analyses of the Drosophila wing glia.

Keywords::

• cell ablation
• collective migration
• Drosophila
• glia
• time lapse
• transcription factor

ACKNOWLEDGMENTS

We thank Chun-Fang Wu, Karl Fischbach, and Dierk Reiff for organizing a remarkable meeting in Freiburg and giving us an opportunity to write this review. We also thank Pierre Cattenoz and Yoshihiro Yuasa for comments on the manuscript.

Declaration of interest: The authors report no conflicts of interest. The authors alone are responsible for the content and writing of the paper.

This work was supported by grants from the Indo-French Center for the Promotion of Advanced Research, Institut National de la Santé et de la Recherche Médicale, Centre National de la Recherche Scientifique, Université de Strasbourg, Hôpital de Strasbourg, Association pour la Recherche sur le Cancer, Institut National du Cancer, Agence Nationale de la Recherche, Fondation pour la Recherche Médicale, and the Région Alsace.