Related Experiment Video
Updated: Jun 8, 2026
05:50
Measuring Cell-Edge Protrusion Dynamics during Spreading using Live-Cell Microscopy
Published on: November 1, 2021
Cell crawling assisted by contractile stress induced retraction
Sitikantha Roy1, Feng Miao, H Jerry Qi
1Department of Mechanical Engineering, University of Colorado, Boulder, CO 80309, USA.
Journal of Biomechanical Engineering
|October 5, 2010
Summary
Cell locomotion speed is determined by contractile stress and receptor-ligand bond kinetics. This study models de-adhesion at focal adhesion zones (FAZs) to predict cell crawling speed.
Area of Science:
- Biophysics
- Cell Biology
- Computational Biology
Background:
- Cell locomotion is a complex chemo-mechanical process involving protrusion, translocation, and retraction.
- Retraction-induced protrusion mechanisms can generate propulsive force for cell movement.
Purpose of the Study:
- To computationally investigate cell crawling.
- To model the role of contractile stress-induced de-adhesion at focal adhesion zones (FAZs) in cell locomotion.
Main Methods:
- Utilized a finite element method for a computational biomimetic approach.
- Modeled FAZ formation via receptor-ligand bonds and nonspecific interactions.
- Employed a two-spring mechanosensor model to represent contractile stress and its time dependency.
Main Results:
- De-adhesion occurs when contractile stress exceeds a critical threshold, coupled with receptor-ligand bond kinetics.
- De-adhesion at the FAZ rear induces elastic energy redistribution, driving cell locomotion.
- Parametric studies explored the relationship between cell speed, stall stress, and receptor-ligand kinetics.
Conclusions:
- Developed a model for cell crawling driven by contractile stress-induced de-adhesion.
- Established a scaling relationship to estimate cell locomotion speed based on mechanical and kinetic parameters.
Related Concept Videos
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...
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...
02:15The Contractile Ring
Contractile rings are composed of microfilaments and are responsible for separating the daughter cells during cytokinesis. Contractile ring assembly proceeds along with other cell cycle events; however, very few mechanistic details are known about the timing and coordination of the contractile rings with the cell cycle.
A small GTPase, RhoA, controls the function and assembly of the contractile ring. RhoA belongs to the Ras superfamily of proteins. The activation of formins by RhoA promotes...
A small GTPase, RhoA, controls the function and assembly of the contractile ring. RhoA belongs to the Ras superfamily of proteins. The activation of formins by RhoA promotes...
02:15The Contractile Ring
Contractile rings are composed of microfilaments and are responsible for separating the daughter cells during cytokinesis. Contractile ring assembly proceeds along with other cell cycle events; however, very few mechanistic details are known about the timing and coordination of the contractile rings with the cell cycle.
A small GTPase, RhoA, controls the function and assembly of the contractile ring. RhoA belongs to the Ras superfamily of proteins. The activation of formins by RhoA promotes...
A small GTPase, RhoA, controls the function and assembly of the contractile ring. RhoA belongs to the Ras superfamily of proteins. The activation of formins by RhoA promotes...
01:13Actin Polymerization and Cell Motility
Actin is a family of globular proteins that are highly abundant in eukaryotic cells. It makes up approximately 1-5% of total cell protein concentration. Actin monomers polymerize to form a complex network of polarized filaments, the actin cytoskeleton, that plays a crucial role in many cellular processes, including cell motility, division, endocytosis, and metastasis of cancer cells.
Actin cytoskeleton dynamics can produce pushing, pulling, and resistance forces that help the cell to migrate.
Actin cytoskeleton dynamics can produce pushing, pulling, and resistance forces that help the cell to migrate.
01:31Mechanism 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...