Skip to main content
. 2021 May 14;12:2815. doi: 10.1038/s41467-021-22985-5

Fig. 4. The microtubule–contractility axis regulates intratumoral migration of cytotoxic T cells.

Fig. 4

a Combined multi-photon excitation of fluorescence (MPE) and second harmonic generation (SHG) of primary mouse CD8+ cytotoxic T cells (green) in paired live pancreatic tumor from KPC mice either expressing tdTomato specifically in carcinoma cells (KPCT; top row) or with all cells fluorescently labeled (KPC; bottom row). Sample migration tracks of individual T cells are highlighted using numerated pins along with their tracks (yellow curves: start position, tick; end position, arrowhead). Images are samples from imaging every 3 min for >1 h. Colors: green, T cells; red, tumor cells; cyan, collagen fibers. b Speeds (left) and motility coefficients (right) for cytotoxic T cells migrating within 3D tumor microenvironments under control (+DMSO), MT-destabilizing (+Nocodazole), and MT-stabilized (+Taxol) treatment conditions, where MT destabilization leads to hypercontractile states and increased migration through stroma dense native pancreatic adenocarcinomas, whereas treatment with Taxol significantly decreases the ability of T cells to migration through native tumor microenvironments. Individual dots correspond to the cell motility from time-lapse imaging every 1.5 min for >1 h. Box plots depict the 25th percentile, median, and 75th percentile, and whiskers depict the 95% confidence intervals. Statistical tests are one-way ANOVA, post hoc Tukey’s tests. All n- and p-values are shown on the plots. Number of replicates per condition: 3. Source data are provided as a Source Data file.