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Measuring Cell-Edge Protrusion Dynamics during Spreading using Live-Cell Microscopy
Published on: November 1, 2021
2.1K
Contact angle at the leading edge controls cell protrusion rate
Chiara Gabella1, Elena Bertseva2, Céline Bottier1
1Laboratory of Cell Biophysics, Ecole Polytechnique Fédérale de Lausanne, 1015 Lausanne, Switzerland.
Current Biology : CB
|May 6, 2014
Summary
Cell protrusion rate is determined by cell shape, not just membrane tension. The leading edge acts like a liquid drop, with contact angle influencing actin polymerization and migration speed.
Area of Science:
- Cell Biology
- Biophysics
- Mechanobiology
Background:
- Cell migration is crucial for development and disease.
- Actin polymerization and membrane tension are key regulators of cell protrusion.
- The role of leading edge geometry in protrusion control remains unclear.
Purpose of the Study:
- To investigate the influence of cell shape and substrate topography on cell protrusion dynamics.
- To determine the relationship between leading edge geometry, membrane tension, and protrusion rate.
- To explore the physical principles governing cell migration at the leading edge.
Main Methods:
- Utilized fish epidermal keratocytes as a model system for persistent cell migration.
- Manipulated cell shape and substrate topography to alter leading edge geometry.
- Measured protrusion rates and correlated them with membrane tension and cell roundness.
Main Results:
- Protrusion rate did not correlate with membrane tension but strongly correlated with cell roundness.
- Observed pinning of the cell leading edge on substrate ridges, similar to liquid drop spreading.
- Identified the contact angle between the membrane and substrate as a determinant of load on actin polymerization.
Conclusions:
- The leading edge of migrating cells can be modeled as a triple interface.
- Contact angle, rather than membrane tension alone, dictates protrusion rate.
- Cell shape and substrate interactions significantly impact cell migration dynamics, with implications for 3D migration.
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