Related Experiment Video
Updated: Jul 27, 2026
11:39
Analyzing In Vivo Cell Migration using Cell Transplantations and Time-lapse Imaging in Zebrafish Embryos
Published on: April 29, 2016
Cell movements during vertebrate development: integrated tissue behaviour versus individual cell migration
1Instituto Cajal, CSIC, Avda Doctor Arce 37, 28002, Madrid, Spain.
Current Opinion in Genetics & Development
|July 13, 2001
Summary
Cell migration is crucial for embryonic development, with cells moving as sheets or individually. New molecular discoveries illuminate key developmental processes like gastrulation and neural crest formation.
Area of Science:
- Developmental biology
- Cell biology
- Embryology
Background:
- Cell migration is essential for forming embryonic structures.
- Cells migrate either individually or in coordinated sheets.
- Understanding these movements is key to developmental processes.
Purpose of the Study:
- To identify molecules involved in diverse cell migration behaviors.
- To elucidate the molecular mechanisms underlying embryonic morphogenesis.
- To enhance understanding of gastrulation and neural crest formation.
Main Methods:
- Identification of novel molecular players in cell migration.
- Analysis of molecular involvement in both collective and single-cell migration.
- Integration of findings with known developmental pathways.
Main Results:
- Key molecules mediating both sheet and individual cell migration identified.
- These molecules play critical roles in gastrulation and neural crest migration.
- New insights into the regulation of morphogenetic movements.
Conclusions:
- Identified molecules provide a deeper understanding of cell migration diversity.
- These findings advance our knowledge of fundamental embryonic developmental processes.
- The research bridges molecular mechanisms with large-scale embryonic shaping.
Related Concept Videos
01:56Gastrulation
Gastrulation establishes the three primary tissues of an embryo: the ectoderm, mesoderm, and endoderm. This developmental process relies on a series of intricate cellular movements, which in humans transforms a flat, “bilaminar disc” composed of two cell sheets into a three-tiered structure. In the resulting embryo, the endoderm serves as the bottom layer, and stacked directly above it is the intermediate mesoderm, and then the uppermost ectoderm. Respectively, these tissue strata will form...
01:09Cell Migration
Cell migration, the process by which cells move from one location to another, is essential for the proper development and viability of organisms throughout their life. When cells are not able to migrate properly to their ordained locations, various disorders may occur. For example, disruption in cell migration causes chronic inflammatory diseases such as arthritis.
01:19Cell Migration
Cell migration is a process by which the cells move from one location to another, playing an essential role in embryological development, repair and regeneration, immune response, and metastasis. Cells migrate in response to chemical or mechanical signals generated by specific organs or tissues. The overall mechanism includes three steps - polarization, protrusion, and release. Polarization involves the formation of a distinct cell front and rear, which determines the direction of movement.
01:18Role of Myosin in Cell Migration
Myosins are multimeric motor proteins involved in various cellular processes such as migration, adhesion, and proliferation. Myosin II is the most common type in animal cells, which binds and cross-links actin filaments.
Myosin II is a hexamer comprising two heavy chains with globular heads and coiled-coil tails, two regulatory light chains, and two essential light chains. The ATPase sites on the myosin heads hydrolyze ATP, and the released phosphate generates the force for contraction. It is...
Myosin II is a hexamer comprising two heavy chains with globular heads and coiled-coil tails, two regulatory light chains, and two essential light chains. The ATPase sites on the myosin heads hydrolyze ATP, and the released phosphate generates the force for contraction. It is...
01:21Chemotaxis and Direction of Cell Migration
Cells can detect chemical cues in their environment and reorganize the cytoskeleton to migrate toward them or away from them. This directional migration, called chemotaxis, is essential during embryogenesis and development, immune response, tissue repair and regeneration, and reproduction. These chemical cues can either attract or repel the cell's movement. For example, axon development is determined by a combination of chemoattractants and chemorepellents that direct the growing axon towards...
01:32Cytoskeletal Coordination in Cell Migration
A migrating cell changes its shape during the cyclic events of attachment and detachment from the substratum and repositions the cell organelles correspondingly. These complex events are orchestrated by the dynamic cytoskeletal network comprising actin filaments, intermediate filaments, and microtubules. Cytoskeletal crosstalk — the direct and indirect communication between the different components — is crucial for this coordination. Direct communication involves various linker proteins that...