Jove
Visualize
Contact Us
JoVE
x logofacebook logolinkedin logoyoutube logo
ABOUT JoVE
OverviewLeadershipBlogJoVE Help Center
AUTHORS
Publishing ProcessEditorial BoardScope & PoliciesPeer ReviewFAQSubmit
LIBRARIANS
TestimonialsSubscriptionsAccessResourcesLibrary Advisory BoardFAQ
RESEARCH
JoVE JournalMethods CollectionsJoVE Encyclopedia of ExperimentsArchive
EDUCATION
JoVE CoreJoVE BusinessJoVE Science EducationJoVE Lab ManualFaculty Resource CenterFaculty Site
Terms & Conditions of Use
Privacy Policy
Policies

Related Concept Videos

Cell Migration01:09

Cell Migration

19.1K
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.
19.1K
Cell Migration01:19

Cell Migration

7.4K
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.
7.4K
Role of Myosin in Cell Migration01:18

Role of Myosin in Cell Migration

3.7K
Myosins are multimeric motor proteins involved in various cellular processes such as migration, adhesion, and proliferation. Myosin II is the most common type in animal cells, which binds and cross-links actin filaments.
Myosin II  is a hexamer comprising two heavy chains with globular heads and coiled-coil tails, two regulatory light chains, and two essential light chains. The ATPase sites on the myosin heads hydrolyze ATP, and the released phosphate generates the force for contraction....
3.7K
Actin Polymerization and Cell Motility01:13

Actin Polymerization and Cell Motility

7.1K
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....
7.1K
Induced Electric Fields: Applications01:27

Induced Electric Fields: Applications

2.9K
An important distinction exists between the electric field induced by a changing magnetic field and the electrostatic field produced by a fixed charge distribution. Specifically, the induced electric field is nonconservative because it does not work in moving a charge over a closed path. In contrast, the electrostatic field is conservative and does no net work over a closed path. Hence, electric potential can be associated with the electrostatic field but not the induced field. The following...
2.9K
Cytoskeletal Coordination in Cell Migration01:32

Cytoskeletal Coordination in Cell Migration

5.7K
A migrating cell changes its shape during the cyclic events of attachment and detachment from the substratum and repositions the cell organelles correspondingly. These complex events are orchestrated by the dynamic cytoskeletal network comprising actin filaments, intermediate filaments, and microtubules. Cytoskeletal crosstalk — the direct and indirect communication between the different components — is crucial for this coordination. Direct communication involves various linker...
5.7K

You might also read

Related Articles

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

Sort by
Same author

Hydrostatic pressure reduces the mechanosensitivity of cell migration.

Science advances·2026
Same author

Whole organism 3D mapping reveals universal branching topology and biophysical optimization governs vascular and nervous system development.

bioRxiv : the preprint server for biology·2026
Same author

Cell-nanoplastics association impacts cell proliferation and motility.

bioRxiv : the preprint server for biology·2026
Same author

Decoding the mechanical manifold: From spatial patterns to mechanomic state spaces.

Biophysical journal·2026
Same author

Hypoxia restores the acidosis-induced inhibition of cancer cell dissemination.

Cell reports·2026
Same author

Acute priming using elevated fluid viscosity recovers '<i>young-like</i>' single-cell surveillance behaviors in aged human T cells.

bioRxiv : the preprint server for biology·2026
Same journal

Erratum: Bacterial Turbulence at Compressible Fluid Interfaces [Phys. Rev. Lett. 136, 138301 (2026)].

Physical review letters·2026
Same journal

Unveiling Light-Quark Yukawa Flavor Structure via Dihadron Fragmentation at Lepton Colliders.

Physical review letters·2026
Same journal

Adaptable Route to Fast Coherent State Transport via Bang-Bang-Bang Protocols.

Physical review letters·2026
Same journal

Topological Transition and Emergence of Elasticity of Dislocation in Skyrmion Lattice: Beyond Kittel's Magnetic-Polar Analogy.

Physical review letters·2026
Same journal

Pound-Drever-Hall Method for Superconducting-Qubit Readout.

Physical review letters·2026
Same journal

Coupling a ^{73}Ge Nuclear Spin to an Electrostatically Defined Quantum Dot in Silicon.

Physical review letters·2026
See all related articles

Related Experiment Video

Updated: Mar 27, 2026

Revealing Electromechanical Control of Tissue Homeostasis Using a Two-Layer Microfluidic Device
11:08

Revealing Electromechanical Control of Tissue Homeostasis Using a Two-Layer Microfluidic Device

Published on: September 19, 2025

1.3K

Flow-Driven Cell Migration under External Electric Fields.

Yizeng Li1, Yoichiro Mori2, Sean X Sun1,3

  • 1Department of Mechanical Engineering, Johns Hopkins University, Baltimore, Maryland 21218, USA.

Physical Review Letters
|January 15, 2016
PubMed
Summary
This summary is machine-generated.

Electric fields can drive cell migration independently of actomyosin activity. Ion channel properties and external electric fields dictate the direction of this cell movement, offering new insights into electrotaxis.

More Related Videos

Utilizing Custom-designed Galvanotaxis Chambers to Study Directional Migration of Prostate Cells
08:45

Utilizing Custom-designed Galvanotaxis Chambers to Study Directional Migration of Prostate Cells

Published on: December 7, 2014

9.7K
Electrotaxis Studies of Lung Cancer Cells using a Multichannel Dual-electric-field Microfluidic Chip
08:35

Electrotaxis Studies of Lung Cancer Cells using a Multichannel Dual-electric-field Microfluidic Chip

Published on: December 29, 2015

9.2K

Related Experiment Videos

Last Updated: Mar 27, 2026

Revealing Electromechanical Control of Tissue Homeostasis Using a Two-Layer Microfluidic Device
11:08

Revealing Electromechanical Control of Tissue Homeostasis Using a Two-Layer Microfluidic Device

Published on: September 19, 2025

1.3K
Utilizing Custom-designed Galvanotaxis Chambers to Study Directional Migration of Prostate Cells
08:45

Utilizing Custom-designed Galvanotaxis Chambers to Study Directional Migration of Prostate Cells

Published on: December 7, 2014

9.7K
Electrotaxis Studies of Lung Cancer Cells using a Multichannel Dual-electric-field Microfluidic Chip
08:35

Electrotaxis Studies of Lung Cancer Cells using a Multichannel Dual-electric-field Microfluidic Chip

Published on: December 29, 2015

9.2K

Area of Science:

  • Cell Biology
  • Biophysics

Background:

  • Electric fields are known to influence cell physiology and migration.
  • Cell migration direction (towards cathode or anode) is typically cell-type dependent.

Purpose of the Study:

  • To investigate an actomyosin-independent mechanism of cell migration under electric fields.
  • To theoretically model cell migration driven by electrical fields.

Main Methods:

  • A one-dimensional cell model was developed.
  • The model incorporated water and ionic fluxes across the cell membrane.
  • Fluxes were governed by osmotic pressure, ion channel properties, and external electric fields.

Main Results:

  • Electric fields can induce cell migration even without actin polymerization or myosin contraction.
  • Cell migration can occur without prior cell polarization.
  • The direction of migration is influenced by ion channel characteristics and is cell-type specific.

Conclusions:

  • An actomyosin-independent pathway for electric-field-driven cell migration exists.
  • Ion channel properties play a crucial role in determining migration direction.
  • This mechanism provides a broader understanding of electrotaxis across different cell types.