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Related Concept Videos

Cell Motility through Blebbing01:16

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
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Mechanism of Lamellipodia Formation

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Updated: Jun 6, 2026

Quantitative Analysis of Cell Edge Dynamics during Cell Spreading
10:54

Quantitative Analysis of Cell Edge Dynamics during Cell Spreading

Published on: May 22, 2021

Blebbing dynamics during endothelial cell spreading.

Leann Norman1, Kheya Sengupta, Helim Aranda-Espinoza

  • 1Fischell Department of Bioengineering, University of Maryland, College Park, MD 20742, United States.

European Journal of Cell Biology
|November 20, 2010
PubMed
Summary
This summary is machine-generated.

Cellular blebs dynamically regulate endothelial cell spreading by controlling initial adhesion and delaying rapid growth until lamellae formation. This finding clarifies the role of blebs in cell migration dynamics.

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Published on: June 3, 2021

Area of Science:

  • Cell Biology
  • Biophysics
  • Cancer Research

Background:

  • Cell spreading is crucial for physiological processes like cancer metastasis and embryonic development.
  • Cellular blebs, observed after detachment, regulate membrane tension but their role in spreading is unclear.
  • Understanding bleb-substrate interactions is key to deciphering cell migration mechanisms.

Purpose of the Study:

  • To investigate the role of cellular blebs in endothelial cell spreading dynamics.
  • To elucidate how bleb formation influences the early stages of cell adhesion and spreading.
  • To explore the temporal relationship between blebbing, lamellae formation, and rapid cell growth.

Main Methods:

  • Utilized chemical and osmotic modifications to induce or inhibit bleb formation in endothelial cells.
  • Employed surface-sensitive microscopy techniques to track cell-substrate dynamics and individual blebs.
  • Quantified lag times, lamellae appearance, and spreading rates in blebbing versus non-blebbing cells.

Main Results:

  • Blebbing cells, both control and induced, showed increased lag times before initiating rapid growth.
  • Lamellae formation, signaling the onset of fast spreading, occurred later in blebbing cells compared to non-blebbing cells.
  • Cellular blebs were found to control initial cell adhesion and dynamically inhibit spreading until lamella emergence.

Conclusions:

  • Cellular blebs play a significant role in the early phase of endothelial cell spreading.
  • Blebs modulate cell-substrate adhesion and temporarily inhibit spreading, influencing overall cell migration kinetics.
  • The appearance of lamellae marks the transition from bleb-mediated inhibition to rapid cell spreading.