Non-muscle myosin heavy chain IIA regulates cell morphology, stress fibre structure, and cell migration in FLO-1 oesophageal adenocarcinoma cells

The incidence of oesophageal adenocarcinoma (OAC) is increasing at a rapid rate in Western countries. Early oesophageal cancer is often asymptomatic and metastatic disease is common at presentation leading to poor prognosis and survival rates. Cell migration is tightly controlled in the healthy cell but can become dysregulated in diseases such as OAC where increased cell motility and migration can contribute to metastasis. We investigated the role of an actin-based molecular motor, non-muscle myosin heavy chain IIA (NMHCIIA) in the migratory capacity of oesophageal adenocarcinoma cells. Immunofluorescence microscopy and ratiometric imaging demonstrated that NMHCIIA co-localises with F-actin at the leading edge and retracting rear of migrating FLO-1 OAC cells. siRNA-mediated depletion of NMHCIIA from FLO-1 cells altered cell morphology, gave rise to an increased number of stress fibre like structures and reduced FLO-1 cell migration. These findings suggest that NMHCIIA influences FLO-1 cell migration by regulating F-actin dynamics and the actin cytoskeleton, providing insight into the mechanisms of migration employed by OAC cells and identifying NMHCIIA as a potential therapeutic target for this disease.