Traveling in a Pack: The Border Cells’ Collective Journey Guided by Landscapes and Chemical Cues

Many cell types migrate collectively, a process critical for animal development and co-opted in some medical disorders. Thus, uncovering the molecular regulation of collective cell migration is of broad interest, yet this process remains understudied as compared to individual cell motility. Both collective and individual cell movements rely on similar mechanisms to change cell shapes and adhesiveness. Although grouped cells face the added challenge of maintaining coordination and communication, they can then leverage group-level advantages, like animals in a pack. How motile cells work together to accomplish these feats is an active area of study. The border cells of the Drosophila ovary provide an ideal case for investigating collective cell migration, because they can be imaged within their native tissue and are amenable to genetic manipulation. Here, we discuss how border cell movement is controlled genetically, including recent insights into group guidance, how these cells interact with their surroundings, and how they divide up functions and coordinate behaviors.