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Published on: April 13, 2011
Bringing up the rear: defining the roles of the uropod
Francisco Sánchez-Madrid1, Juan M Serrador
1Departamento de Biología Vascular e Inflamación, Centro Nacional de Investigaciones Cardiovasculares, Madrid, Spain. fsanchez.hlpr@salud.madrid.org
Abstract:
Renewed interest in cell shape has been prompted by a recent flood of evidence that indicates that cell polarity is essential for the biology of motile cells. The uropod, a protrusion at the rear of amoeboid motile cells such as leukocytes, exemplifies the importance of morphology in cell motility. Remodelling of cell shape by uropod-interfering agents disturbs cell migration. But even though the mechanisms by which uropods regulate cell migration are beginning to emerge, their functional significance remains enigmatic.
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