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Related Concept Videos

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.
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.
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.
Mechanism of Lamellipodia Formation01:31

Mechanism 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...
Cell Polarization by Rho Proteins01:21

Cell Polarization by Rho Proteins

Cell polarity is the asymmetric distribution of cellular and membrane components, making one side of the cell different from the other. This polarity is essential to many processes such as embryogenesis, axon migration, glucose transport across epithelial cells, and directional cell migration. A migrating cell responds to intracellular or extracellular signals via molecular cascades that reorganize the actin cytoskeleton to establish this polarity. In these cells, the Rho family proteins Cdc42,...

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Evaluation of Cancer Stem Cell Migration Using Compartmentalizing Microfluidic Devices and Live Cell Imaging
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Evaluation of Cancer Stem Cell Migration Using Compartmentalizing Microfluidic Devices and Live Cell Imaging

Published on: December 23, 2011

Cell shape dynamics: from waves to migration.

Meghan K Driscoll1, Colin McCann, Rael Kopace

  • 1Department of Physics, University of Maryland, College Park, Maryland, USA.

Plos Computational Biology
|March 23, 2012
PubMed
Summary
This summary is machine-generated.

Amoeboid migration exhibits wave-like characteristics, with boundary curvature propagating along the cell. This wave motion, observed in Dictyostelium discoideum, is crucial for cell movement and navigation.

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Measuring Cell-Edge Protrusion Dynamics during Spreading using Live-Cell Microscopy

Published on: November 1, 2021

Area of Science:

  • Cell Biology
  • Biophysics
  • Microscopy

Background:

  • Amoeboid migration is a fundamental biological process.
  • Dictyostelium discoideum is a widely used model organism for studying cell motility.
  • Understanding the physical mechanisms of cell shape change is key to understanding migration.

Purpose of the Study:

  • To observe and quantify wave-like characteristics in amoeboid cell migration.
  • To investigate the role of cell-surface adhesion and myosin II in these wave phenomena.
  • To elucidate the relationship between boundary curvature waves and cell protrusion dynamics.

Main Methods:

  • Utilizing Dictyostelium discoideum as a model system.
  • Employing techniques to observe non-adherent cells (electrostatic repulsion, micro-fabricated cliffs).
  • Analyzing cell shape changes and protrusion activity using microscopy and quantitative measurements.

Main Results:

  • Observed wave-like propagation of boundary curvature from the leading edge to the cell rear.
  • Demonstrated that non-adherent myosin II null cells lack these curvature waves.
  • Found that protrusive activity at the leading edge also moves in a wave-like manner, influencing boundary shape upon surface contact.

Conclusions:

  • Cellular migration involves wave-like dynamics in boundary curvature and protrusion.
  • Surface adhesion affects how these waves manifest in cell shape.
  • Wave-like protrusion dynamics offer a mechanism for pseudopod zig-zagging, swimming, and navigating complex environments.