Cell migration is a multistep process initiated by extracellular matrix 
components that leads to cytoskeletal changes and formation of different 
protrusive structures at the cell periphery. Lumican, a small extracellular 
matrix leucine-rich proteoglycan, has been shown to inhibit human melanoma cell 
migration by binding to α2β1 integrin and affecting actin cytoskeleton 
organization. The aim of this study was to determine the effect of lumican 
overexpression on the migration ability of human colon adenocarcinoma LS180 
cells. The cells stably transfected with plasmid containing lumican cDNA were 
characterized by the increased chemotactic migration measured on Transwell 
filters. Lumican-overexpressing cells presented the elevated filamentous to 
monomeric actin ratio and gelsolin up-regulation. This was accompanied by a 
distinct cytoskeletal actin rearrangement and gelsolin subcellular relocation, 
as observed under laser scaning confocal microscope. Moreover, LS180 cells 
overexpressing lumican tend to form podosome-like structures as indicated by 
vinculin redistribution and its colocalization with gelsolin and actin at the 
submembrane region of the cells. In conclusion, the elevated level of lumican 
secretion to extracellular space leads to actin cytoskeletal remodeling followed 
by an increase in migration capacity of human colon LS180 cells. These data 
suggest that lumican expression and its presence in ECM has an impact on colon 
cancer cells motility and may modulate invasiveness of colon cancer.