Loooking into tunneling
t
nanotubes
n
b
between pa
ancreatic ca
ancer cells iinduced by
y the
macropha
age conditiooned mediu
um and electric fields
Chhia-Wei Leee1*, Huei-Jy
yuan Pan1, H
Hsin-Ying Han
H 2, Chia-N
Ning Shen2, Chau-Hwaang
Lee1,3,4
1
Researcch Center forr Applied Scieences, Acadeemia Sinica, Taipei 115299, Taiwan
2
3
Geenomics Reseearch Centerr, Academia Sinica,
S
Taipeei 11529, Taiw
iwan
Institute of Biophoton
nics, Nationaal Yang-Ming
g University,, Taipei 112221, Taiwan
4
Deparrtment of Phyysics, Nationnal Taiwan University,
U
Ta
aipei 10617, Taiwan
*E-mail: fo
[email protected]
Keyywords: tunnneling nanotube, micrrotubule, confocal, focu
us ion beam
m
Celll–cell comm
munications play essenttial roles in many impo
ortant physiiological and
pathhological prrocesses. In addition too the cytokin
nes secreted
d by commuunicating ceells,
cell––cell contaccts are usuaally considerred as majo
or types of short-distancce
com
mmunicationns. Tunnelin
ng nanotubees (TNTs) were
w recogniized as a sppecial cellular
struucture for long-distancee contact celll–cell comm
munications [1]. Variouus substancces
can be transporrted through
h TNTs, inc luding proteins, microR
RNAs, intraacellular
vesiicles, mitochondria, etcc. [2]. Thereefore, the fo
ormation and functions of TNTs arre
impportant subjeects for und
derstanding tumor prog
gression and
d invasion. IIn this work
k, we
usedd direct-currrent electricc fields (dcE
EFs) in a ceell culture deevice to sepparate
pancreatic canccer cells (Bx
xPC-3) in a
coloony, and fouund that the macrophagge
conditioned meedium (MaC
CM)
prom
moted the formation
fo
off TNTs
betw
ween the caancer cells, as
a showed iin
Figuure (a). Figuure (b) show
ws a
phase-contrast image of a TNT betweeen
nterested in
twoo cancer cellls. We are in
figuuring out whhat types off cytoskeletoons
inside a TNT too support su
uch long nannostruuctures. Figuures (c) & (d
d) show a
segm
ment of TN
NT labeled with
w anti
-tuubulin imagged with con
nfocal
miccroscopy. We
W employed
d focus ion
beam
m to cut a TNT
T
out and
d saw the
struucture of miccrotubues in
nside with
scannning electrron micrscopy [Figuress (e)
& (ff)]. More daata will be presented
p
inn the
Connference.
REF
FERENCE
E
[1] A
A. Rustom et al., “Nan
notubular higghways for intercellulaar organellee transport,””
SScience 303, 1007 (200
04).
[2] L
L. Marzo ett al., “Multiifaceted rolees of tunnelling nanotub
bes in interccellular
ccommunicattion,” Frontt. Physiol. 33, 72 (2012)).