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Updated: Jun 20, 2026

Quantitative Analysis of Cell Edge Dynamics during Cell Spreading
Published on: May 22, 2021
Actin dynamics at the leading edge: from simple machinery to complex networks
Robert H Insall1, Laura M Machesky
1CRUK Beatson Institute for Cancer Research, Garscube Estate, Switchback Road, Bearsden, Glasgow G61 1BD, Scotland. r.insall@beatson.gla.ac.uk
None:
Cell migration is an essential feature of eukaryotic life, required for processes ranging from feeding and phagoctyosis to development, healing, and immunity. Migration requires the actin cytoskeleton, specifically the localized polymerization of actin filaments underneath the plasma membrane. Here we summarize recent developments in actin biology that particularly affect structures at the leading edge of the cell, including the structure of actin branches, the multiple pathways that lead to cytoskeleton assembly and disassembly, and the role of blebs. Future progress depends on connecting these processes and components to the dynamic behavior of the whole cell in three dimensions.
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