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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
In multicellular...
Types of Membrane Protrusions01:28

Types of Membrane Protrusions

The protrusion of the cell surface is an initial step for several cellular processes, including cell migration, phagocytosis, and neurite outgrowth. These membrane protrusions are a result of cytoskeletal rearrangement. The most  widely observed cell protrusions include lamellipodia, pseudopodia, filopodia, microvilli, invadopodia, and podosomes. These protrusions can be of two types — static or dynamic.
The microvilli, an example of stable protrusions, are finger-like projections with a...
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.
Mechanisms of Membrane Domain Formation00:59

Mechanisms of Membrane Domain Formation

Different physical properties of lipids and proteins allow them to localize and form distinct islands or domains in the membrane. Some membrane domains are formed due to protein-protein interactions, whereas others are formed due to the presence of specific lipids such as sphingolipids and sterols—for example, large proteins, such as bacteriorhodopsin, aggregate and create distinct domains.
Another mechanism for membrane domain formation involves membrane proteins interacting with cytoskeletal...
Mechanisms of Membrane-bending01:15

Mechanisms of Membrane-bending

The living membranes are flexible due to their fluid mosaic nature; however, their bending into different shapes is an active process regulated by specific lipids and proteins. The membrane bending can be transient as seen in vesicles or stable for a long time as in microvilli. Cells regulate the size, location, and duration of the membrane curvature.
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Protrusion Force Microscopy: A Method to Quantify Forces Developed by Cell Protrusions
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Cellular blebs: pressure-driven, axisymmetric, membrane protrusions.

Thomas E Woolley1, Eamonn A Gaffney, James M Oliver

  • 1Mathematical Institute, University of Oxford, 24-29 St Giles, Oxford, OX1 3LB, UK, woolley@maths.ox.ac.uk.

Biomechanics and Modeling in Mechanobiology
|July 17, 2013
PubMed
Summary
This summary is machine-generated.

Cellular blebs, protrusions aiding cell movement, are modeled using mechanics. A novel reconfiguration process allows large blebs to form with minimal area increase, challenging previous assumptions.

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Area of Science:

  • Cellular mechanics
  • Biophysics
  • Theoretical biology

Background:

  • Blebs are essential cellular protrusions involved in cell locomotion and other functions.
  • Understanding the mechanics of bleb formation is crucial for cell biology.
  • Previous models often overlooked the area constraints during bleb expansion.

Purpose of the Study:

  • To propose a mechanical model for pressure-driven bleb formation.
  • To investigate the role of cellular membrane deformation and reconfiguration.
  • To identify the key factors limiting bleb size.

Main Methods:

  • Development of an axisymmetric shell model based on force and moment balances.
  • Inclusion of a membrane weakening initiation.
  • Extension of the model to incorporate a reconfiguration process for area conservation.

Main Results:

  • The model successfully describes pressure-driven bleb formation.
  • A reconfiguration process is necessary for realistic large bleb formation with minimal area increase.
  • Geometric and biomechanical constraints are critical factors in bleb development.

Conclusions:

  • Bleb size is not solely limited by the pressure difference across the cellular membrane.
  • Membrane reconfiguration plays a vital role in enabling the formation of large blebs.
  • The proposed mechanical model provides new insights into the biophysics of cellular protrusions.