Electrotaxis disrupts patterns of cell-cell interactions of human corneal epithelial cells in vitro

Electrotaxis, the process by which eukaryotic cells establish polarity and move directionally along an electric field, is a well-studied mechanism to steer the migration of cells in vitro and in vivo. Although the influence of an electric field on single cells in culture is well documented, the influence of the electric field on cell-cell interactions has not been well studied. In this work, we quantify the length, duration, and number of cell-cell interactions during electrotaxis of human corneal epithelial cells and compare the properties of these interactions with those arising in the absence of an electric field. We find that contact inhibition of locomotion and velocity alignment, two key behaviors observed during dynamic physical interactions between cells in vitro, are strongly affected by an electric field. Furthermore, we establish a link between the location of a cell-cell contact on the cell surface and the resulting cell interaction behaviors. By mapping the regions of the cell surface with a characteristic response to contact with another cell, we find that the spatial distribution of possible responses upon cell-cell contact is altered upon induction of an electric field. Altogether, the results of this work show how the electric field not only influences individual cell motility and directionality but also affects cell-cell interactions.