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Chemotaxis and Direction of Cell Migration

Chemotaxis and Direction of Cell Migration

Cells can detect chemical cues in their environment and reorganize the cytoskeleton to migrate toward them or away from them. This directional migration, called chemotaxis, is essential during embryogenesis and development, immune response, tissue repair and regeneration, and reproduction. These chemical cues can either attract or repel the cell's movement. For example, axon development is determined by a combination of chemoattractants and chemorepellents that direct the growing axon...

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During embryogenesis, cells become progressively committed to different fates through a two-step process: specification followed by determination. Specification is demonstrated by removing a segment of an early embryo, “neutrally” culturing the tissue in vitro—for example, in a petri dish with simple medium—and then observing the derivatives. If the cultured region gives rise to cell types that it would normally generate in the embryo, this means that it is specified. In...

Cytoskeletal Coordination in Cell Migration

Cytoskeletal Coordination in Cell Migration

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...

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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 Migration

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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.

Gastrulation

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Gastrulation establishes the three primary tissues of an embryo: the ectoderm, mesoderm, and endoderm. This developmental process relies on a series of intricate cellular movements, which in humans transforms a flat, “bilaminar disc” composed of two cell sheets into a three-tiered structure. In the resulting embryo, the endoderm serves as the bottom layer, and stacked directly above it is the intermediate mesoderm, and then the uppermost ectoderm. Respectively, these tissue strata...

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Related Experiment Video

Updated: Mar 26, 2026

Analysis of Trunk Neural Crest Cell Migration using a Modified Zigmond Chamber Assay

Analysis of Trunk Neural Crest Cell Migration using a Modified Zigmond Chamber Assay

Published on: January 19, 2012

Chemotaxis during neural crest migration.

Adam Shellard¹, Roberto Mayor¹

¹Department of Cell and Developmental Biology, University College London, Gower Street, London WC1E 6BT, UK.

Seminars in Cell & Developmental Biology

|January 29, 2016

Summary

This summary is machine-generated.

Cellular chemotaxis guides tissue development and metastasis. This review explores chemoattractants and mechanisms driving neural crest cell migration, crucial for development.

Keywords:

C3/C3aR Chemotaxis Collective migration Neural crest SDF1/CXCL12 VEGF

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Last Updated: Mar 26, 2026

Analysis of Trunk Neural Crest Cell Migration using a Modified Zigmond Chamber Assay

Analysis of Trunk Neural Crest Cell Migration using a Modified Zigmond Chamber Assay

Published on: January 19, 2012

Analysis of Neural Crest Migration and Differentiation by Cross-species Transplantation

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Published on: February 7, 2012

Dissection, Culture and Analysis of Primary Cranial Neural Crest Cells from Mouse for the Study of Neural Crest Cell Delamination and Migration

Dissection, Culture and Analysis of Primary Cranial Neural Crest Cells from Mouse for the Study of Neural Crest Cell Delamination and Migration

Published on: October 3, 2019

Area of Science:

Developmental Biology
Cell Biology
Molecular Biology

Background:

Chemotaxis is essential for cell movement during embryonic development and in diseases like cancer metastasis.
The neural crest (NC) is a multipotent cell population critical for forming diverse tissues.
Neural crest cell migration is hypothesized to be regulated by chemotactic signals.

Purpose of the Study:

To review the current evidence for proposed chemoattractants of neural crest cells.
To outline the mechanisms underlying the chemotactic response of neural crest cells.

Main Methods:

Literature review of existing research on neural crest cell migration and chemotaxis.
Analysis of proposed chemoattractant molecules and their signaling pathways.
Examination of cellular mechanisms involved in neural crest chemotaxis.

Main Results:

Identified several proposed chemoattractants for neural crest cells.
Detailed the signaling pathways and cellular responses involved in neural crest chemotaxis.
Highlighted the critical role of chemotaxis in neural crest development and potential implications in disease.

Conclusions:

Chemotaxis is a key regulator of neural crest cell migration.
Understanding these mechanisms can provide insights into developmental processes and cancer metastasis.
Further research is needed to fully elucidate the complex chemotactic network guiding neural crest cells.