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 Adhesion Molecules - Types and Functions01:20

Cell Adhesion Molecules - Types and Functions

8.9K
Cell adhesion molecules (CAMs) are pivotal to multicellularity and the coordinated functioning of tissues and organ systems. They enable physical interactions between cells and provide mechanical strength to tissues. They also function as receptors for signal transmission across the plasma membrane. The CAMs are broadly classified into four families - integrins, cadherins, selectins, and immunoglobulin-like CAMs (IgCAMs).
CAM Families
The Integrin family of proteins is primarily  involved...
8.9K
Immunoglobulin-like Cell Adhesion Molecules01:31

Immunoglobulin-like Cell Adhesion Molecules

4.1K
Immunoglobulin-like cell adhesion molecules or Ig-CAMs are a versatile group of cell surface glycoproteins belonging to the immunoglobulin protein superfamily. Ig-CAMs possess the characteristic immunoglobulin protein domains and other domains such as the fibronectin type III domain. The Ig domains are glycosylated to varying degrees in different Ig-CAMs.
Ig-CAMs exhibit either homophilic binding (to other Ig-CAMs) or heterophilic binding (to other ligands such as integrins). While most Ig-CAMs...
4.1K
Intracellular Signaling Affects Focal Adhesions01:17

Intracellular Signaling Affects Focal Adhesions

3.4K
Integrins act both as extracellular input receivers and as intracellular processing activators. As their name suggests, integrins are entirely integrated into the membrane structure. Their hydrophobic membrane-spanning regions interact with the phospholipid bilayer's hydrophobic region. These membrane receptors provide extracellular attachment sites for effectors like hormones and growth factors. They activate intracellular response cascades when their effectors are bound and active.
Some...
3.4K
Cell Adhesion in Plants01:14

Cell Adhesion in Plants

3.2K
Plants have rigid cell walls that are made up of cell wall polysaccharides that mediate cell-cell adhesion. The primary cell walls of plants consist of two independent and interacting polysaccharide networks: a pectin matrix that embeds the second network comprising cellulose and hemicelluloses.
Pectins are complex heteropolymers mainly composed of negatively-charged α-D-glucopyranosyl uronic acid and some neutral glycosyl residues such as α-L-rhamnopyranose, α-L-arabinofuranose,...
3.2K
Overview of Cell-Matrix Interactions01:24

Overview of Cell-Matrix Interactions

8.8K
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...
8.8K
Tension Response at Adherens Junctions01:26

Tension Response at Adherens Junctions

3.4K
The adherens junctions that anchor cells together are multi-protein complexes that dynamically adapt to mechanical stimuli such as tensile forces and shear stress. Mechanosensory proteins in these junctions can sense such mechanical stimuli and undergo a shift in their conformation, resulting in an altered function — a process called mechanotransduction.
α-Catenin as a Mechanosensory Protein
The α-catenin of adherens junctions is an allosteric protein with three VH (vinculin...
3.4K

You might also read

Related Articles

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

Sort by
Same author

Collective epithelial migration mediated by the unbinding of hexatic defects.

eLife·2026
Same author

Hidden order in active nematic defects.

Proceedings of the National Academy of Sciences of the United States of America·2025
Same author

Quasi-Long-Ranged Order in Two-Dimensional Active Liquid Crystals.

Physical review letters·2025
Same author

Homochirality in the Vicsek model: Fluctuations and potential implications for cellular flocks.

Physical review. E·2025
Same author

Confined cell migration along extracellular matrix space in vivo.

Proceedings of the National Academy of Sciences of the United States of America·2025
Same author

Lipid membranes supported by polydimethylsiloxane substrates with designed geometry.

Soft matter·2024

Related Experiment Video

Updated: Jan 5, 2026

Quantification of Cell-Substrate Adhesion Area and Cell Shape Distributions in MCF7 Cell Monolayers
06:46

Quantification of Cell-Substrate Adhesion Area and Cell Shape Distributions in MCF7 Cell Monolayers

Published on: June 24, 2020

9.1K

Contour Models of Cellular Adhesion.

Luca Giomi1

  • 1Instituut-Lorentz, Universiteit Leiden, Leiden, The Netherlands. giomi@lorentz.leidenuniv.nl.

Advances in Experimental Medicine and Biology
|October 16, 2019
PubMed
Summary

Traction-force microscopy enables direct mechanical measurements of living cells. Contour models provide a theoretical framework to understand cell-substrate interactions and predict cellular forces.

Area of Science:

  • Biophysics
  • Cell Biology
  • Mechanobiology

Background:

  • Traction-force microscopy (TFM) allows direct mechanical measurements of living cells adhering to substrates.
  • A theoretical framework is needed to interpret TFM data and understand cell-extracellular matrix interactions.
  • Contour models offer a simplified yet insightful approach to studying cellular adhesion biomechanics.

Purpose of the Study:

  • To provide an overview of contour models for cellular adhesion.
  • To explain how these models decipher experimental observations from TFM.
  • To offer testable predictions regarding cell-substrate interactions.

Main Methods:

  • Utilizing the active matter paradigm for theoretical modeling.
  • Explicitly determining cell edge shape based on internal and peripheral stresses.
Keywords:
Cell adhesionCell mechanicsContour models

More Related Videos

Control of Cell Adhesion using Hydrogel Patterning Techniques for Applications in Traction Force Microscopy
12:26

Control of Cell Adhesion using Hydrogel Patterning Techniques for Applications in Traction Force Microscopy

Published on: January 29, 2022

6.3K
Analyzing Cell Surface Adhesion Remodeling in Response to Mechanical Tension Using Magnetic Beads
07:55

Analyzing Cell Surface Adhesion Remodeling in Response to Mechanical Tension Using Magnetic Beads

Published on: March 8, 2017

8.9K

Related Experiment Videos

Last Updated: Jan 5, 2026

Quantification of Cell-Substrate Adhesion Area and Cell Shape Distributions in MCF7 Cell Monolayers
06:46

Quantification of Cell-Substrate Adhesion Area and Cell Shape Distributions in MCF7 Cell Monolayers

Published on: June 24, 2020

9.1K
Control of Cell Adhesion using Hydrogel Patterning Techniques for Applications in Traction Force Microscopy
12:26

Control of Cell Adhesion using Hydrogel Patterning Techniques for Applications in Traction Force Microscopy

Published on: January 29, 2022

6.3K
Analyzing Cell Surface Adhesion Remodeling in Response to Mechanical Tension Using Magnetic Beads
07:55

Analyzing Cell Surface Adhesion Remodeling in Response to Mechanical Tension Using Magnetic Beads

Published on: March 8, 2017

8.9K
  • Calculating substrate traction forces from mechanical properties.

    • Main Results:

    • Contour models can determine cell edge shape and traction forces.
    • These models incorporate internal contractile stresses, peripheral stresses, and passive forces.
    • The framework accounts for actin cortex and plasma membrane mechanics, including bending elasticity.

    Conclusions:

    • Contour models are a valuable tool for understanding cell adhesion and mechanics.
    • The models provide insights into biomechanical processes governing cell-substrate interactions.
    • Further application of these models can advance predictions in cell mechanics research.