Figure 5.

Effect of Pro-functionalized dendrons/dendrimers on the invasive potential and morphology of T98G cells. (A) T98G cells were treated with 15 (1–200 μM) and their motility was estimated with time-lapse videomicroscopy after 48 h to construct single cell trajectories from the sequences of cell centroid positions (see Materials and Methods; cf. Figure S4 in the Supplementary Materials). Parameters of trajectories were further compiled to calculate the averaged values of speed of the cell movement (Speed: distance/recording time; μm/h) and total length of single cell displacement (Displacement; μm; from >3 independent experiments; number of cells > 50). Concomitantly, the cells were stained against F-actin (red) and alpha-tubulin (green), and counterstained against DNA (Hoechst 33258) to visualize the effect of 15 on cell morphology. Scale bar: 50 μm. (B,C) Cells were cultivated in the presence of 13 (B) or in the presence of 9a and 11a (C) and processed as in A. All data shown as mean ± SD. Statistical significance of the differences tested with two-way ANOVA, * p < 0.01. Data representative for at least 3 independent experiments (n > 3). Note the spindle-like shape of T98G cells in the presence of higher 15 and 9a concentrations, which is accompanied by the induction of their displacement.