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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
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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

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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.
Protein Diffusion in the Membrane01:24

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Proteins show rotational as well as lateral diffusion across the membrane. The lateral diffusion of proteins was confirmed through the cell fusion experiment where mouse and human cells were fused, resulting in hybrid cells. When the human and mouse cells fused, the specific membrane proteins on human and mouse cells were marked with the red and green-fluorescent markers, respectively. Initially, the red and green fluorescence was located on the respective hemisphere of the cell. As time...
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 9, 2026

Quantitative Analysis of Cell Edge Dynamics during Cell Spreading
10:54

Quantitative Analysis of Cell Edge Dynamics during Cell Spreading

Published on: May 22, 2021

Cell spreading as a hydrodynamic process.

M A Fardin1, O M Rossier, P Rangamani

  • 1Department of Biological Sciences, Fairchild Building Columbia University, New York, NY 10027, USA.

Soft Matter
|August 3, 2013
PubMed
Summary
This summary is machine-generated.

Cell spreading on surfaces is a hydrodynamic process driven by actin polymerization. This actin-driven cell motility exhibits instabilities similar to fluid dynamics, influencing cell polarization and movement.

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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
  • Physics

Background:

  • Cell motility is crucial for many biological processes and involves actin and myosin dynamics.
  • Cell spreading on extracellular matrices is the initial step in cell motility, transitioning cells from suspension to polarized states.
  • Understanding cell spreading dynamics is key to deciphering cell movement mechanisms.

Purpose of the Study:

  • To describe cell spreading dynamics on 2D surfaces as a hydrodynamic process.
  • To model the transition from isotropic to anisotropic spreading using physical principles.
  • To interpret the effects of actin polymerization inhibitors on cell spreading instabilities.

Main Methods:

  • Developed a hydrodynamic model for cell spreading on 2D substrates.
  • Analyzed the transition from isotropic to anisotropic spreading dynamics.
  • Derived a polymerization stress expression based on membrane force and cytoskeleton equilibrium.
  • Investigated the influence of Cytochalasin D on fingering instability nucleation.

Main Results:

  • Cell spreading dynamics on 2D surfaces can be accurately modeled as a hydrodynamic process.
  • The transition from isotropic to anisotropic spreading resembles fingering instability in fluid dynamics.
  • A derived polymerization stress expression successfully reproduces observed cell spreading behaviors.
  • The model explains the effect of Cytochalasin D on the nucleation of fingering instability.

Conclusions:

  • Cell spreading is governed by hydrodynamic principles, with actin polymerization as the primary driving force.
  • The observed spreading patterns, including instabilities, can be explained by physical models of cytoskeleton-membrane interactions.
  • The developed model provides a framework for understanding and predicting the impact of pharmacological agents on cell motility.