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Related Concept Videos

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...
Role of Myosin in Cell Migration01:18

Role 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...
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.
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.
Mechanism of Filopodia Formation01:39

Mechanism of Filopodia Formation

Filopodia are thin, actin-rich cellular protrusions that play an important role in many fundamental cellular functions. They vary in their occurrence, length, and positioning in different cell types, suggesting their diverse roles.
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Related Experiment Video

Updated: May 10, 2026

Traction Microscopy Integrated with Microfluidics for Chemotactic Collective Migration
10:53

Traction Microscopy Integrated with Microfluidics for Chemotactic Collective Migration

Published on: October 13, 2019

Propulsion and navigation within the advancing monolayer sheet.

Jae Hun Kim1, Xavier Serra-Picamal, Dhananjay T Tambe

  • 1School of Public Health, Harvard University, Boston, Massachusetts 02115, USA.

Nature Materials
|June 25, 2013
PubMed
Summary
This summary is machine-generated.

Cellular movement isn't directly caused by physical stress. Instead, cells collectively move to fill empty spaces, a behavior termed kenotaxis, demonstrating a robust mechanical drive.

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Last Updated: May 10, 2026

Traction Microscopy Integrated with Microfluidics for Chemotactic Collective Migration
10:53

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Published on: October 13, 2019

Measuring Cell-Edge Protrusion Dynamics during Spreading using Live-Cell Microscopy
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Published on: November 1, 2021

Rapid Subtractive Patterning of Live Cell Layers with a Microfluidic Probe
12:19

Rapid Subtractive Patterning of Live Cell Layers with a Microfluidic Probe

Published on: September 15, 2016

Area of Science:

  • Cell biology
  • Biophysics
  • Mechanobiology

Background:

  • Cellular collective motion is crucial for development and disease.
  • Existing models often assume direct causal links between physical stress and cell migration.
  • The precise mechanical principles governing cell swarm dynamics remain incompletely understood.

Purpose of the Study:

  • To investigate the relationship between cellular stress and migration in an advancing epithelial cell sheet.
  • To identify the underlying mechanical drivers of collective cell movement.
  • To characterize a novel cell-patterning behavior.

Main Methods:

  • Utilized monolayer stress microscopy to quantify migration velocities, cellular tractions, and intercellular stresses.
  • Studied an epithelial cell sheet model advancing towards a non-adherent island.
  • Analyzed cell behavior under conditions of approach, tangential migration, and recession from the island.

Main Results:

  • Demonstrated that cellular motion is not directly proportional to physical stress.
  • Observed cells exerting systematic tractions towards the non-adherent island, irrespective of their direction of movement.
  • Identified and termed a new motif of cell patterning: kenotaxis.

Conclusions:

  • The mechanical drive for collective cell movement, termed kenotaxis, is a robust phenomenon.
  • Kenotaxis represents the cellular collective's systematic effort to fill unoccupied space.
  • This finding challenges direct stress-motion causality and offers new insights into collective cell behavior.