Related Experiment Video
Updated: Apr 13, 2026

The Mechanics of Poro-Elastic Contractile Actomyosin Networks As a Model System of the Cell Cytoskeleton
Published on: March 10, 2023
A mechanism for cell motility by active polar gels
W Marth1, S Praetorius1, A Voigt2
1Institut für Wissenschaftliches Rechnen, TU Dresden, Dresden 01062, Germany.
Abstract:
We analyse a generic motility model, with the motility mechanism arising by contractile stress due to the interaction of myosin and actin. A hydrodynamic active polar gel theory is used to model the cytoplasm of a cell and is combined with a Helfrich-type model to account for membrane properties. The overall model allows consideration of the motility without the necessity for local adhesion. Besides a detailed numerical approach together with convergence studies for the highly nonlinear free boundary problem, we also compare the induced flow field of the motile cell with that of classical squirmer models and identify the motile cell as a puller or pusher, depending on the strength of the myosin-actin interactions.
Related Concept Videos
Cytoskeletal Coordination in Cell Migration
Cell Motility through Blebbing
Blebbing Through the Matrix
In multicellular...
Mechanism of Lamellipodia Formation
Actin Polymerization and Cell Motility
Actin cytoskeleton dynamics can produce pushing, pulling, and resistance forces that help the cell to migrate....
Cell Migration
Cell Migration

