Related Experiment Video
Updated: Jun 21, 2026
06:10
Characterizing Cell Migration Within Three-dimensional In Vitro Wound Environments
Published on: August 16, 2017
Substrate topography induces a crossover from 2D to 3D behavior in fibroblast migration
Marion Ghibaudo1, Léa Trichet, Jimmy Le Digabel
1Laboratoire Matière et Systèmes Complexes (MSC), Université Paris Diderot and Centre National de la Recherche Scientifique, Unite Mixte de Recherche 7057, Paris, France.
Biophysical Journal
|July 8, 2009
Summary
Cell migration and shape are significantly influenced by the physical topography of their environment. Microstructured substrates reveal how pillar spacing and organization alter cell-to-substrate interactions and cytoskeletal dynamics.
Area of Science:
- Cell Biology
- Biophysics
- Materials Science
Background:
- Cell migration is crucial for biological processes but is complex in 3D environments.
- Understanding how cells interact with topographical features is key to controlling cell behavior.
Purpose of the Study:
- To investigate the role of substrate topography in cell adhesion and migration.
- To elucidate how microstructured substrates affect cell shape and movement.
Main Methods:
- Fibroblasts were cultured on chemically identical microfabricated pillar substrates with varied dimensions.
- Cell shape, migration paths, actin cytoskeleton, and focal adhesions were analyzed.
- Myosin II activity was modulated to assess actomyosin contractility's role.
Main Results:
- Substrate topography altered cell shape, leading to more elongated and branched cells with fewer actin stress fibers compared to flat surfaces.
- Cell migration mechanisms, including persistent migration, varied with topographical feature organization.
- Focal adhesions showed preferential formation and increased lifetime on micropillars, influenced by physical constraints and actomyosin contractility.
Conclusions:
- Substrate topography is a critical regulator of cell adhesion, shape, and migration dynamics.
- Physical constraints imposed by micropillars spatially reorganize the actin cytoskeleton and influence focal adhesion formation.
- Actomyosin contractility is essential for cellular responses to topographical cues, and pillar spacing dictates cell transmigration.
Related Concept Videos
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.
01:09Cell 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.
01:18Role 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...
01:32Cytoskeletal 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...
01:16Cell 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...
Blebbing Through the Matrix
In multicellular...