Endothelial directed collective migration depends on substrate stiffness via localized myosin contractility and cell-matrix interactions

Macrovascular endothelial injury, which may be caused by percutaneous intervention, requires endothelial cell directed collective migration to restore an intact endothelial monolayer. While interventions are often performed in arteries stiffened by cardiovascular disease, the effect of substrate stiffness on endothelial cell collective migration has not been examined. We studied porcine aortic endothelial cell directed collective migration using a modified cage assay on 4, 14, and 50 kPa collagen-coated polyacrylamide gels. Total cell migration distance was measured over time, as were nuclear alignment and nuclear:total β-catenin as measures of cell directedness and cell-cell junction integrity, respectively. In addition, fibronectin fibers were examined as a measure of extracellular matrix deposition and remodeling. We now show that endothelial cells collectively migrate farther on stiffer substrates by 24 h. Cells were more directed in the migration direction on intermediate stiffness substrates from 12 to 24 h, with an alignment peak 400-700 µm back from the migratory interface. However, cells on the softest substrates had the highest cell-cell junction integrity. Cells on all substrates deposited fibronectin, however fibronectin fibers were most linear and aligned on the stiffer substrates. When Rho kinase (ROCK) was inhibited with Y27632, cells on soft substrates migrated farther and cells on both soft and stiff substrates were more directed. When α5 integrin was knocked down with siRNA, cells on stiffer substrates did not migrate as far and were less directed. These data suggest that ROCK-mediated myosin contractility inhibits endothelial cell collective migration on soft substrates, while cell-matrix interactions are critical to endothelial cell collective migration on stiff substrates.