Search research articles

ABOUT JoVE

Overview Leadership Blog JoVE Help Center

AUTHORS

Publishing Process Editorial Board Scope & Policies Peer Review FAQ Submit

LIBRARIANS

Testimonials Subscriptions Access Resources Library Advisory Board FAQ

RESEARCH

JoVE Journal Methods Collections JoVE Encyclopedia of Experiments Archive

EDUCATION

JoVE Core JoVE Business JoVE Science Education JoVE Lab Manual Faculty Resource Center Faculty Site

Terms & Conditions of Use

Related Concept Videos

Type IV Collagen of Basal Lamina

Type IV Collagen of Basal Lamina

Type IV collagen is a 400 nm long, network-forming collagen that acts as a barrier between the epithelial and endothelial cells. Type IV collagen forms the backbone of the basement membrane by scaffolding with laminin, entactin, proteoglycans, and fibronectin. Apart from rendering structural support to the basement membrane, it also helps entail signaling potentials necessary for both pathological and physiological functions.
A type IV collagen molecule has six alpha chains which can exist in...

Basal Lamina are the Specialized Form of ECM

Basal Lamina are the Specialized Form of ECM

The basal lamina is a thin extracellular layer that lies underneath the cells and separates them from other tissues. The three layers of the basal lamina are lamina lucida, lamina densa and lamina reticularis. The basal lamina, a mixture of glycoproteins and collagen, provides an attachment site for the epithelium, separating it from underlying connective tissue. The framework of basal lamina has other essential proteins such as laminins mesh, perlecan, entactin, and type IV collagen.
Proteins...

Cell Motility through Blebbing

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...

Types of Membrane Protrusions

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...

Metastasis

Metastasis

Metastasis is the spread of cancer cells from the original site to distant locations in the body. Cancer cells can spread via blood vessels (hematogenous) as well as lymph vessels in the body.
Epithelial-to-Mesenchymal Transition
The epithelial-to-mesenchymal transition or EMT is a developmental process commonly observed in wound healing, embryogenesis, and cancer metastasis. EMT is induced by transforming growth factor-beta (TGF-β) or receptor tyrosine kinase (RTK) ligands, which further...

Tight Junctions

Tight Junctions

Tight junctions are molecular seals between cells that prevent the leaking of fluids, ions, and other small solutes across cavities and compartments in multicellular organisms. They are mainly composed of claudin and occludin transmembrane proteins, and other proteins such as tricellulin and JAM (junctional adhesion molecule). All these proteins are 4-pass transmembrane proteins, except JAM, which is a single-pass transmembrane protein belonging to the immunoglobulin superfamily. The...

You might also read

Related Articles

Articles linked to this work by shared authors, journal, and citation graph.

Sort by

Same author

Myeloid-specific interferon regulatory factor 5 promotes bone formation via orchestration of osteoclast lineage-osteoblast coupling.

The Journal of biological chemistry·2026

Same author

Plasmin-mediated fibrinolysis is required for hematopoietic recovery after 5-FU-induced myeloablation.

Blood advances·2026

Same author

Targeting of MARK2, but not other MARKs, suppresses TNBC progression by inhibition of the mutant p53-driven signaling pathway.

Chinese journal of natural medicines·2026

Same author

Efficient Generation of Functional TCRαβ<sup>+</sup> Cytotoxic T Cells from hiPSCs via Small-Molecule Modulation.

bioRxiv : the preprint server for biology·2026

Same author

Amoeboid-mesenchymal transition and the proteolytic control of cancer invasion plasticity.

Proceedings of the National Academy of Sciences of the United States of America·2026

Same author

Allogeneic hematopoietic stem cell transplantation in ERCC6L2 disease.

Blood advances·2026

Search research articles

Related Experiment Video

Updated: Jun 29, 2026

Confocal and Super-Resolution Imaging of Polarized Intracellular Trafficking and Secretion of Basement Membrane Proteins During Drosophila Oogenesis

Confocal and Super-Resolution Imaging of Polarized Intracellular Trafficking and Secretion of Basement Membrane Proteins During Drosophila Oogenesis

Published on: May 19, 2022

Breaching the basement membrane: who, when and how?

R Grant Rowe¹, Stephen J Weiss

¹Division of Molecular Medicine and Genetics, Department of Internal Medicine, The Life Sciences Institute, University of Michigan, 210 Washtenaw, Ann Arbor, MI 48109-2216, USA.

Trends in Cell Biology

|October 14, 2008

Summary

Cells cross the basement membrane (BM) using distinct invasion programs. Protease-dependent invasion relies on membrane-type matrix metalloproteinases, while protease-independent mechanisms remain unclear, potentially involving reversible BM disassembly.

More Related Videos

Extracting the Young's Modulus of Native Murine Pulmonary Basement Membranes from Atomic Force Microscopy Derived Force Maps

Extracting the Young's Modulus of Native Murine Pulmonary Basement Membranes from Atomic Force Microscopy Derived Force Maps

Published on: January 31, 2025

Ultrathin Porated Elastic Hydrogels As a Biomimetic Basement Membrane for Dual Cell Culture

Ultrathin Porated Elastic Hydrogels As a Biomimetic Basement Membrane for Dual Cell Culture

Published on: December 26, 2017

Related Experiment Videos

Last Updated: Jun 29, 2026

Confocal and Super-Resolution Imaging of Polarized Intracellular Trafficking and Secretion of Basement Membrane Proteins During Drosophila Oogenesis

Confocal and Super-Resolution Imaging of Polarized Intracellular Trafficking and Secretion of Basement Membrane Proteins During Drosophila Oogenesis

Published on: May 19, 2022

Extracting the Young's Modulus of Native Murine Pulmonary Basement Membranes from Atomic Force Microscopy Derived Force Maps

Extracting the Young's Modulus of Native Murine Pulmonary Basement Membranes from Atomic Force Microscopy Derived Force Maps

Published on: January 31, 2025

Ultrathin Porated Elastic Hydrogels As a Biomimetic Basement Membrane for Dual Cell Culture

Ultrathin Porated Elastic Hydrogels As a Biomimetic Basement Membrane for Dual Cell Culture

Published on: December 26, 2017

Area of Science:

Cell Biology
Extracellular Matrix Biology
Tissue Remodeling

Background:

The basement membrane (BM) is a critical extracellular matrix layer surrounding various cell types.
Host cells must penetrate the BM during development, immune surveillance, and in diseases like cancer and fibrosis.
The molecular mechanisms cells use to breach the BM are not fully understood.

Purpose of the Study:

To investigate the distinct molecular mechanisms by which cells invade the basement membrane.
To differentiate between protease-dependent and protease-independent cell invasion pathways.
To identify key molecular players involved in basement membrane transmigration.

Main Methods:

Analysis of cellular invasion assays.
Biochemical characterization of matrix metalloproteinases.
Investigating extracellular matrix remodeling dynamics.

Main Results:

Accumulating evidence suggests cells utilize selective protease-dependent or -independent invasion programs to cross the BM.
Protease-dependent transmigration is mediated by membrane-type matrix metalloproteinases, which irreversibly alter BM structure.
Mechanisms for protease-independent transmigration are undefined but may involve reversible BM disassembly.

Conclusions:

Understanding BM transmigration mechanisms is crucial for insights into pathophysiologic tissue remodeling.
Characterizing these pathways can lead to the development of novel therapeutic strategies for diseases involving BM degradation.
Further research into protease-independent invasion is warranted.