About the Cover
Cover image

In this issue, Kent and colleagues (page 267) identify miR-31 as a RAS effector that enhanced invasion-migration of pancreatic cancer cells via downregulation of the miR-31 target gene RASA1 and activation of RhoA. The cover image is an examination of the migratory behavior of Panc-1 cells challenged to wound close when expressing a RASA1-transgene lacking the 3′-UTR and thus not under regulation by miR-31. From left to right, the individual panels are a snapshot of Panc-1 cells monitored at 0, 15, 30, and 60 hours. Panc-1 transfected with the pCMV empty vector (top row) show a migration front (blue) that moves into and closes the scratch wound (yellow) over the time course. Comparatively, Panc-1 cells expressing pCMV-RASA1 (bottom row) have a decreased rate of wound closure.