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Steering cell migration by alternating blebs and actin-rich protrusions
Alba Diz-Muñoz1,2,3, Pawel Romanczuk4,5, Weimiao Yu6
1Max Planck Institute of Molecular Cell Biology and Genetics, Dresden, 01307, Germany. alba.dizmunoz@embl.de.
BMC Biology
|September 4, 2016
Summary
Cell migration in 3D is optimized by balancing run and tumble phases. This balance, controlled by actin protrusions and blebs, dictates directional persistence and migration precision.
Area of Science:
- Cell Biology
- Developmental Biology
- Biophysics
Background:
- Directional persistence is assumed to improve chemotactic migration efficiency.
- In vivo cell migration often shows meandering paths with low persistence, and its control in 3D is unclear.
Purpose of the Study:
- Investigate the control and function of directional persistence in 3D cell migration.
- Utilize zebrafish mesendoderm progenitors as a model system.
Main Methods:
- Observational studies of cell migration in zebrafish gastrulation.
- Analysis of actin-rich protrusions and cell blebbing.
- Development and application of a physical model for migratory behavior.
Main Results:
- Mesendoderm progenitors alternate between persistent runs (actin protrusions) and tumbles (blebbing).
- Altering the proportion of protrusions or blebs affects run phase duration and migration precision.
- Both reduced and increased run phases lead to greater spatial dispersion, indicating reduced precision.
Conclusions:
- Cell migration directionality in 3D is controlled by the interplay of actin protrusions and blebs.
- The ratio of tumbling to run times, regulated by these protrusions, is critical for migration precision.
- This study provides mechanistic insights into how cells control directional persistence and optimize migration in complex 3D environments.
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