Investigating electrotaxis of the non-transformed MCF-10A mammary epithelial cell line

Normal and cancer cells exhibit directed movement in electric fields, known as electrotaxis. Here, we studied the migration of non-transformed mammary epithelial cells, MCF-10A, in externally applied electric fields of varying strength since there is limited information on the electrotaxis of this cell system. Electrotactic behavior was quantified by tracking the movement of individual cells within a chamber of media through which an external electric field was applied. Cells maintain adhesion to fibronectin coated polystyrene throughout the experiments. Time lapse microscopy revealed that the MCF-10A cells migrate towards the anode under normal conditions. Even under low electric fields, cells exhibit directional migration. Moreover, the directionality of cells increases with increasing field strength.