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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.
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
In multicellular...
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...
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...
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 17, 2026

Creating Adhesive and Soluble Gradients for Imaging Cell Migration with Fluorescence Microscopy
13:10

Creating Adhesive and Soluble Gradients for Imaging Cell Migration with Fluorescence Microscopy

Published on: April 4, 2013

Directional cell migration through cell-cell interaction on polyelectrolyte multilayers with swelling gradients.

Lulu Han1, Zhengwei Mao, Jindan Wu

  • 1MOE of Key Laboratory of Macromolecular Synthesis and Functionalization, Department of Polymer Science and Engineering, Zhejiang University, Hangzhou 310027, China.

Biomaterials
|November 7, 2012
PubMed
Summary
This summary is machine-generated.

Gradient surfaces guide directional cell migration, crucial for physiological processes. Cell-cell interactions enhance directional movement on these engineered surfaces.

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Creating Adhesive and Soluble Gradients for Imaging Cell Migration with Fluorescence Microscopy
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Area of Science:

  • Biomaterials Science
  • Cell Biology
  • Surface Chemistry

Background:

  • Directional cell migration is vital for physiological and pathological processes.
  • Substrate-immobilized gradient cues can control cell movement.
  • Poly(sodium 4-styrenesulfonate) (PSS)/poly(diallyldimethylammonium) chloride (PDADMAC) multilayers offer a tunable platform.

Purpose of the Study:

  • To engineer gradient multilayers with controlled swelling ratios.
  • To investigate the effect of these gradient surfaces on vascular smooth muscle cell migration.
  • To elucidate the mechanisms underlying gradient-driven cell migration.

Main Methods:

  • Fabrication of PSS/PDADMAC multilayers post-treated in a gradient NaCl solution (3-5 M).
  • Characterization of gradient physicochemical properties using X-ray photoelectron spectroscopy and ellipsometry.
  • Assessment of cell migration, adhesion, and focal adhesion formation on gradient and uniform surfaces.

Main Results:

  • Gradient multilayers exhibited controlled changes in swelling ratio while maintaining similar chemistry.
  • Vascular smooth muscle cells showed directed migration towards the low hydration side at optimal cell-seeding density (1.5 × 10^4/cm^2), enhanced by cell-cell interactions.
  • Migration rates on gradient surfaces were significantly higher than on uniform surfaces.
  • Gradient cues and cell-cell contact were identified as major drivers of directional migration.

Conclusions:

  • Engineered PSS/PDADMAC gradient surfaces can effectively control directional cell migration.
  • Cell-cell interactions play a significant role in enhancing directed migration on these surfaces.
  • The study provides insights into the mechanisms of gradient-mediated cell migration for potential applications.