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Updated: Jul 15, 2026

Assessment of Dictyostelium discoideum Response to Acute Mechanical Stimulation
Published on: November 9, 2017
Magnetic control of Dictyostelium aggregation
Abstract:
We report the control of cell migration by external magnetic forces during the early stage of Dictysostelium discoideum morphogenesis. Magnetically labeled aggregating cells respond to the presence of a magnetic field created by a thin magnetic tip: forces as low as 30 pN are sufficient to elicit the aggregation of the cells at the extremity of the tip. This induced magnetotaxis is competitive to classical chemotaxis. We therefore underline the interplay between external mechanical forces and morphogenesis. This magnetic assay will open new possibilities in the study of morphogenesis in Dictyostelium.
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