Dominant-negative ezrin reduces constitutive and HGF-induced migration and invasion. A, Migration was measured in the absence (−) or presence (+) of HGF (10 ng/ml) in a chemotaxis chamber assay in glioma cells transfected with control plasmid (open bars), F353-ezrin (striped bars), or nter-ezrin (black bars). Migrated cells were counted in five random fields (mean and SEM;n = 3; *p < 0.05;t test). Representative filters demonstrating nter-ezrin-mediated inhibition of migration are shown inB (magnification, 200×). C, The transfected cell lines (neo, filled circles; F353-ezrin,filled squares; nter-ezrin, open triangles) were analyzed for migration from preformed spheroids. The distance in micrometers from the center of the spheroid minus the diameter of the spheroid was measured for 50 representative migrated cells (mean values; n = 3; *p < 0.05; t test; SEM < 10%). D, The transfected LN-229 cell lines were analyzed in confrontation assays that assess invasion of a rat brain aggregate. The images show the brain aggregate (labeledB) as smaller and the tumor spheroid (labeled LN-229) as relatively larger. E, Migration was measured in the absence (−) or presence (+) of neutralizing α-HGF-antibody (2 ng/ml) in a chemotaxis chamber assay in glioma cells transfected with control plasmid (open bars), F353-ezrin (striped bars), or nter-ezrin (black bars). Migrated cells were counted in five random fields (mean and SEM;n = 3; *p < 0.05;t test).