Cell invasion through basement membranes is crucial for both normal development and cancer metastasis but relatively little is known about the process because it is difficult to observe in vivo. By imaging the invasion of anchor cells during C. elegans development, Hagedorn et al. reveal that, after invadopodia-like structures form an initial breach in the basement membrane, localized netrin signaling helps generate a stable invasive protrusion that widens the gap and directs the cell across the extracellular barrier. This biosights episode presents the paper by Hagedorn et al. from the June 10, 2013, issue of The Journal of Cell Biology and includes an interview with senior author David Sherwood (Duke University, Durham, NC). Produced by Caitlin Sedwick and Ben Short. See the associated paper in JCB for details on the funding provided to support this original research.
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