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Related Concept Videos

Cell Migration01:19

Cell 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.
Cell Migration01:09

Cell 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.
Morphogenesis02:19

Morphogenesis

Plant morphogenesis—the development of a plant’s form and structure—involves several overlapping developmental processes, including growth and cell differentiation. Precursor cells differentiate into specific cell types, which are organized into the tissues and organ systems that make up the functional plant.
Cell-matrix's Response to Mechanical Forces01:13

Cell-matrix's Response to Mechanical Forces

In animal cells, the extracellular matrix allows cells within tissues to withstand external stresses and transmits signals from the outside of the cell to the inside. The extracellular matrix is extensive, and its composition varies between different types of tissues. For example, the reticular fibers and ground substance make up the ECM in loose connective tissue, while collagen and bone minerals make up the ECM of bone tissue. 
Anchoring junctions mechanically attach a cell to the...
Cytoskeletal Coordination in Cell Migration01:32

Cytoskeletal 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...
Actin Polymerization and Cell Motility01:13

Actin 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.

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Related Experiment Video

Updated: May 31, 2026

Direct Force Measurements of Subcellular Mechanics in Confinement using Optical Tweezers
09:56

Direct Force Measurements of Subcellular Mechanics in Confinement using Optical Tweezers

Published on: August 31, 2021

Force generation, transmission, and integration during cell and tissue morphogenesis.

Thomas Lecuit1, Pierre-François Lenne, Edwin Munro

  • 1Developmental Biology Institute of Marseilles-Luminy, Centre National de la Recherche Scientifique, Université de la Méditerranée, 13288 Marseille Cedex 9, France. thomas.lecuit@univmed.fr

Annual Review of Cell and Developmental Biology
|July 12, 2011
PubMed
Summary
This summary is machine-generated.

Cell shape changes are crucial for biological processes and tissue remodeling. Understanding subcellular mechanics reveals universal principles in cytomechanics across diverse biological phenomena.

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Area of Science:

  • Cellular and Molecular Biology
  • Developmental Biology
  • Biophysics

Background:

  • Cell shape dynamics are fundamental to biological processes like cell division, motility, and tissue remodeling (e.g., extension, invagination).
  • In vitro and cell culture studies have elucidated the physical principles governing subcellular mechanics.
  • Developing organisms offer insights into how cell and tissue morphogenesis arise from interactions between cellular machinery and adhesion structures.

Purpose of the Study:

  • To explore the interplay between force-generating cellular machinery and adhesive elements in driving cell and tissue morphogenesis.
  • To highlight the self-organizing nature of force production and transmission in adaptive tissue development.
  • To introduce a new perspective comparing diverse biological phenomena based on conserved cytomechanical principles.

Main Methods:

  • Utilizing in vitro and cell culture systems to investigate subcellular mechanics.
  • Employing studies in developing organisms to observe tissue remodeling and morphogenesis.
  • Analyzing the roles of actomyosin networks and adhesive clusters in force transmission at the cell cortex.

Main Results:

  • Cellular force-generating machines (e.g., actomyosin networks) and adhesive clusters are key to transmitting tensile forces and stabilizing interfaces.
  • Force production and transmission are self-organizing processes critical for adaptive tissue morphogenesis.
  • A unifying framework is emerging that compares seemingly disparate biological phenomena through shared cytomechanical principles.

Conclusions:

  • Cellular mechanics and morphogenesis are governed by conserved principles, enabling comparisons across different biological systems.
  • The study of cytomechanics in developing organisms complements in vitro findings, providing a holistic view of cell shape dynamics.
  • A new era of research facilitates understanding of universal features in biological dynamics through core cytomechanical machineries.