Stills from movie of live border cell migration 
Egg chamber labeled for PVR (magenta) and PVF1 (green): guidance receptor and ligand, respectively, for border cells 
Disorganized mutant border cells 
Mutant that causes border cell cluster to fall apart 
Egg chambers stained for nuclear lamin (R), E-cadherin (G), DAPI (B): image Yujun Chen 
Image by Yujun Chen, chosen for Science to Art auction, BioNexus/KC 
Image of the entire ovary by Yujun Chen – 11th place 2019 Nikon Small World competition 
Image of distinction in 2020 Nikon Small World competition by Yujun Chen 
An ovariole stained to visualize nuclei (green) and cells (magenta) by Nirupama Kotian 
Ovarioles stained for nuclei in gray and white by Luke Messer 
A stage 14 egg chamber stained for nuclei by Yujun Chen 
Egg chamber labeled for microtubules (magenta) and F-actin (green)
Cell migration in development and disease
We use Drosophila border cells to study how groups of cells (“collectives”) move inside the three-dimensional environment of tissues. We are interested in how cells migrate during development, e.g. during organ formation and tissue remodeling, and in diseases such as cancer, where it contributes to tumor invasion and metastasis.
We use a combination of live cell imaging, genetics, and cell biological approaches to uncover how multicellular collective cell migration is controlled. We primarily use the fruit fly “border cell” model but also address the role of collective cell movement in human cancer, such as glioblastoma (in an ongoing collaboration with the lab of Justin Lathia at the Cleveland Clinic).
Some of our current interests:
- How do cell collectives maintain their overall shape and ability to move within the confined environment of developing tissues?
- How do single cells come together as collectives and communicate to produce coordinated group movement? And how do cells in collectives stay together while migrating?
- How do cells break away from epithelia to become migratory?
- What are the molecular pathways that help migrating cell collectives keep moving?
- Application of Drosophila border cell model to tumor migration and invasion, especially glioblastoma
The McDonald Lab 