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Related Concept Videos

Types of Membrane Protrusions01:28

Types of Membrane Protrusions

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The protrusion of the cell surface is an initial step for several cellular processes, including cell migration, phagocytosis, and neurite outgrowth. These membrane protrusions are a result of cytoskeletal rearrangement. The most  widely observed cell protrusions include lamellipodia, pseudopodia, filopodia, microvilli, invadopodia, and podosomes. These protrusions can be of two types — static or dynamic.
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Actin and myosin or actomyosin filaments also play a significant role in cells other than those involved in muscle contraction (which occurs within the sarcomere of muscle cells). The mechanism of non-muscle cell contractile bundles was first observed in Dictyostelium and Acanthamoeba. In non-muscle cells, two bundles are commonly found: stress fibers and actomyosin adherence belts. These contractile bundles are smaller and less organized than the ones found in muscle cells. They  are held...
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Actin Polymerization and Cell Motility01:13

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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.
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Actin Treadmilling01:18

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Actin filaments undergo polymerization and depolymerization from either end. The polymerization and depolymerization rates depend on the cytosolic concentration of free G-actins. The polymerization rate is generally higher at the plus or barbed end, while the depolymerization rate is higher at the minus or pointed end. At a steady state, critical concentration describes the concentration of free G-actin monomers at which the polymerization rate at the plus end is equal to that of the...
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Overview of Cell-Matrix Interactions01:24

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The extracellular matrix or ECM holds cells together to form a tissue and allows the cells within the tissue to communicate. ECM comprises proteins such as fibronectin, collagen, laminin, etc. The most abundant protein in this space is collagen. Collagen fibers are interwoven with carbohydrate-containing protein molecules called proteoglycans. ECM allows cell migration and provides a structural scaffold at cell adhesion that anchors the cell when the extracellular matrix proteins interact with...
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Updated: Feb 8, 2026

Study of the Actin Cytoskeleton in Live Endothelial Cells Expressing GFP-Actin
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Study of the Actin Cytoskeleton in Live Endothelial Cells Expressing GFP-Actin

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Actin-Based Cell Protrusion in a 3D Matrix.

Patrick T Caswell1, Tobias Zech2

  • 1Wellcome Trust Centre for Cell-Matrix Research, Faculty of Biology, Medicine and Health, University of Manchester, Manchester Academic Health Science Centre, Manchester, UK.

Trends in Cell Biology
|July 5, 2018
PubMed
Summary
This summary is machine-generated.

Cell migration is crucial for development and disease. This review explores actin-powered cell movement in 3D environments, highlighting differences from 2D migration and nuclear movement.

Keywords:
actinfilopodiainvasionlamellipodiamigrationprotrusion

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Area of Science:

  • Cell Biology
  • Biophysics
  • Developmental Biology

Background:

  • Cell migration is fundamental to biological processes like development, wound repair, and disease progression.
  • While cell movement on 2D surfaces is well-understood, mechanisms in 3D environments are less clear.
  • Actin-based motility and nuclear positioning are key aspects of cell migration.

Purpose of the Study:

  • To review the mechanisms of cell migration and invasion in 3D microenvironments.
  • To highlight the role of actin-powered protrusions in cell motility.
  • To discuss the control of nuclear movement during cell migration in 3D.

Main Methods:

  • Literature review focusing on actin-powered cell migration.
  • Analysis of studies investigating cell motility in 3D matrices.
  • Comparison of 2D and 3D cell migration mechanisms.

Main Results:

  • Cell migration in 3D involves actin-rich protrusions, similar to 2D but with distinct regulatory mechanisms.
  • Nuclear movement is a critical, often rate-limiting, factor in 3D cell migration.
  • Mechanisms controlling cell motility in 3D can diverge significantly from those observed in 2D.

Conclusions:

  • Understanding 3D cell migration is vital for addressing developmental processes and diseases.
  • Actin dynamics and nuclear positioning are key targets for studying cell motility in complex environments.
  • Further research into 3D cell migration mechanisms will advance fields from developmental biology to cancer research.