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Updated: Mar 26, 2026

Nanopodia - Thin, Fragile Membrane Projections with Roles in Cell Movement and Intercellular Interactions
Published on: April 3, 2014
Podosome Formation and Development in Monocytes Restricted by the Nanoscale Spatial Distribution of ICAM1
Andreas S Andersen1, Hüsnü Aslan1, Mingdong Dong1
1Interdisciplinary Nanoscience Center (iNANO), Århus University , Århus 8000, Denmark.
Abstract:
We studied podosome formation and development in activated monocytes (THP1) at ICAM1 (intercellular adhesion molecule 1) nanopatterns of circular and ring-shaped domains and show that cellular binding to a preclustered ICAM1 nanopattern requires ligand patches of at least 200 nm (corresponding to 14 or more integrins). Podosome-like adhesion formation depends on the structure of the ligand pattern under the developing podosome with larger single domains promoting adhesion in a single patch and multiple smaller domains allowing podosome formation by integration of at least 2 smaller domains on either side of the podosome core. Maturation to rosette structures and recruitment of proteases were only observed with macroscopic ICAM1 presentation.
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