Search research articles

ABOUT JoVE

Overview Leadership Blog JoVE Help Center

AUTHORS

Publishing Process Editorial Board Scope & Policies Peer Review FAQ Submit

LIBRARIANS

Testimonials Subscriptions Access Resources Library Advisory Board FAQ

RESEARCH

JoVE Journal Methods Collections JoVE Encyclopedia of Experiments Archive

EDUCATION

JoVE Core JoVE Business JoVE Science Education JoVE Lab Manual Faculty Resource Center Faculty Site

Terms & Conditions of Use

Related Concept Videos

Cell Migration

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.

Actin Polymerization and Cell Motility

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....

You might also read

Related Articles

Articles linked to this work by shared authors, journal, and citation graph.

Sort by

Same author

Resolving fluorescently labeled species using highly multiplexed spectral FLIM.

Scientific reports·2026

Same author

Targeting secreted PLA<sub>2</sub> interactions with EGFR and vimentin to arrest prostate tumour growth.

Cell death & disease·2025

Same author

Consensus guidelines for cellular label-free optical metabolic imaging: ensuring accuracy and reproducibility in metabolic profiling.

Journal of biomedical optics·2025

Same author

ESPRESSO: spatiotemporal omics based on organelle phenotyping.

Nature methods·2025

Same author

CDCP1/mitochondrial Src axis increases electron transport chain function to promote metastasis in triple-negative breast cancer.

British journal of cancer·2025

Same author

An open, integrated platform for multiplexed bioluminescence microscopy.

bioRxiv : the preprint server for biology·2025

Same journal

Quantifying the Peripheral Surface Information Entropy from Conformational Ensembles of Globular Protein-Peptide Complexes.

Biophysical journal·2026

Same journal

Anisotropic unbinding and location-dependent hovering of a kinesin motor head over microtubule.

Biophysical journal·2026

Same journal

Kinesin-5/Cut7 C-terminal tail phosphorylation influence on motor regulation through multi-scale molecular modeling.

Biophysical journal·2026

Same journal

Dynamic conformations of fluorophores on self-labeling protein tags.

Biophysical journal·2026

Same journal

Different actions of RyR2 open and closed channel block explained by a multiscale Ca<sup>2+</sup> release model.

Biophysical journal·2026

Same journal

Membrane Environment Sets the Functional pK<sub>a</sub> of Ionizable Lipids.

Biophysical journal·2026

See all related articles

Search research articles

Related Experiment Video

Updated: May 6, 2026

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

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

Published on: November 1, 2021

Measuring actin flow in 3D cell protrusions.

Chi-Li Chiu¹, Michelle A Digman, Enrico Gratton

¹Department of Developmental and Cell Biology, Laboratory for Fluorescence Dynamics, University of California, Irvine, California.

Biophysical Journal

|October 22, 2013

Summary

This summary is machine-generated.

This study introduces a novel 3D imaging technique to track actin flow in cells, revealing directional movement crucial for cell migration and revealing its relationship with protrusion tip distance.

More Related Videos

Study of the Actin Cytoskeleton in Live Endothelial Cells Expressing GFP-Actin

Study of the Actin Cytoskeleton in Live Endothelial Cells Expressing GFP-Actin

Published on: November 18, 2011

Analyses of Actin Dynamics, Clutch Coupling and Traction Force for Growth Cone Advance

Analyses of Actin Dynamics, Clutch Coupling and Traction Force for Growth Cone Advance

Published on: October 21, 2021

Related Experiment Videos

Last Updated: May 6, 2026

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

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

Published on: November 1, 2021

Study of the Actin Cytoskeleton in Live Endothelial Cells Expressing GFP-Actin

Study of the Actin Cytoskeleton in Live Endothelial Cells Expressing GFP-Actin

Published on: November 18, 2011

Analyses of Actin Dynamics, Clutch Coupling and Traction Force for Growth Cone Advance

Analyses of Actin Dynamics, Clutch Coupling and Traction Force for Growth Cone Advance

Published on: October 21, 2021

Area of Science:

Cell Biology
Biophysics
Microscopy

Background:

Actin dynamics are vital for cell shape, tension, and migration.
Existing 2D methods for actin turnover lack resolution in 3D.
High-resolution 3D imaging of actin dynamics is needed.

Purpose of the Study:

To develop and validate a method for capturing 3D actin flow with high spatial-temporal resolution.
To quantify actin flow rates in cell protrusions within a 3D matrix.
To investigate the relationship between actin flow and cell migration in 3D.

Main Methods:

Combined nanoscale precise imaging by rapid beam oscillation with fluctuation spectroscopy.
Utilized a clover-shaped laser trajectory around cell protrusions expressing actin-eGFP.
Applied pair cross-correlation function to fluorescence fluctuations at distinct positions.

Main Results:

Successfully measured directional actin flow in 3D protrusions at rates of ~1 μm/min.
Observed that actin flow rate correlates with distance to the protrusion tip.
Detected collagen deformation concurrently with actin motion.

Conclusions:

The developed method enables quantitative 3D imaging of actin dynamics in challenging conditions.
This technique provides insights into protein organization and cell migration mechanisms in 3D.
The findings offer a new tool for studying cellular processes in complex 3D environments.