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Related Concept Videos

Cell Motility through Blebbing01:16

Cell Motility through Blebbing

Blebs are a type of membrane protrusion formed by the internal hydrostatic pressure of the cytoplasm. Blebs are observed in several cell types, including fibroblasts, immune cells, and single-celled organisms like the amoeba. The primary function of blebs is cell locomotion and apoptosis, but they are also found during necrosis and cell division. The life cycle of a bleb comprises an initiation phase followed by the expansion and retraction phases.
Blebbing Through the Matrix
In multicellular...
Cell Migration01:09

Cell 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.
Cell Migration01:19

Cell 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.
Types of Membrane Protrusions01:28

Types of Membrane Protrusions

The protrusion of the cell surface is an initial step for several cellular processes, including cell migration, phagocytosis, and neurite outgrowth. These membrane protrusions are a result of cytoskeletal rearrangement. The most  widely observed cell protrusions include lamellipodia, pseudopodia, filopodia, microvilli, invadopodia, and podosomes. These protrusions can be of two types — static or dynamic.
The microvilli, an example of stable protrusions, are finger-like projections with a...
Mechanism of Lamellipodia Formation01:31

Mechanism of Lamellipodia Formation

Cells migrating in response to external stimuli form lamellipodia, which are thin membrane protrusions supported by a mesh of linked, branched, or unbranched actin filaments. These actin filaments interact with myosin motor proteins, creating the dynamic actomyosin complex within the cytoskeleton. Contractility, or the ability to generate contractile stress, is inherent to the actomyosin complex. It helps cells detect the stiffness of the surrounding ECM and exert contractile force for...
Role of Myosin in Cell Migration01:18

Role 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...

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Related Experiment Video

Updated: Jul 4, 2026

Evaluation of Cancer Stem Cell Migration Using Compartmentalizing Microfluidic Devices and Live Cell Imaging
09:36

Evaluation of Cancer Stem Cell Migration Using Compartmentalizing Microfluidic Devices and Live Cell Imaging

Published on: December 23, 2011

Cell motility through plasma membrane blebbing.

Oliver T Fackler1, Robert Grosse

  • 1Department of Virology, University of Heidelberg, 69120 Heidelberg, Germany. oliver.fackler@med.uni-heidelberg.de

The Journal of Cell Biology
|June 11, 2008
PubMed
Summary
This summary is machine-generated.

Non-apoptotic plasma membrane blebbing drives cell migration and invasion by responding to reduced adhesion. Multiple molecular mechanisms regulate actin-mediated bleb retraction, highlighting blebbing

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Area of Science:

  • Cell Biology
  • Biophysics
  • Cancer Research

Background:

  • Plasma membrane blebs are dynamic cellular protrusions involved in various cellular processes.
  • Rho-guanosine triphosphatase (GTPase) activity and actomyosin dynamics are crucial for bleb formation.

Purpose of the Study:

  • To review evidence for non-apoptotic membrane blebbing in cell migration and cancer invasion.
  • To explore the molecular mechanisms underlying blebbing and its role in cell motility.

Main Methods:

  • Literature review of recent studies on membrane blebbing.
  • Analysis of molecular mechanisms governing bleb formation and retraction.

Main Results:

  • Non-apoptotic blebbing plays a central role in cell migration and cancer cell invasion.
  • Bleb-associated cell motility is proposed as a response to decreased substratum adhesion.
  • Multiple molecular mechanisms regulate actin-mediated bleb retraction.

Conclusions:

  • Membrane blebbing is a key mechanism for cell motility, particularly in response to adhesion changes.
  • Understanding blebbing's molecular underpinnings is vital for cancer research and cell biology.