Related Experiment Video
Updated: Dec 31, 2025
11:43
Concentric Gel System to Study the Biophysical Role of Matrix Microenvironment on 3D Cell Migration
Published on: April 3, 2015
8.9K
Matrix degradation regulates osteoblast protrusion dynamics and individual migration
Nieves Movilla1, Clara Valero1, Carlos Borau1
1Multiscale in Mechanical and Biological Engineering, Aragon Institute of Engineering Research, Department of Mechanical Engineering, University of Zaragoza, Zaragoza, Spain.
Integrative Biology : Quantitative Biosciences From Nano to Macro
|January 11, 2020
Summary
Osteoblasts use cell protrusions to navigate their environment. Blocking matrix degradation significantly impacts protrusion dynamics and osteoblast movement, more than matrix stiffening.
Area of Science:
- Cell Biology
- Biophysics
- Biomathematics
Background:
- Cells utilize protrusions for environmental sensing and communication.
- Osteoblasts, in particular, generate numerous protrusions within 3D matrices.
- The extracellular matrix (ECM) influences cell behavior through its mechanochemical properties.
Purpose of the Study:
- To investigate the role of ECM mechanochemical properties on osteoblast protrusion dynamics.
- To determine how protrusion dynamics influence osteoblast 3D movement.
- To correlate experimental findings with computational models of cell migration.
Main Methods:
- Experimental manipulation of ECM properties: blocking metalloproteinase activity and inducing matrix stiffening.
- Quantification of osteoblast protrusion size and cell velocity.
- Development and validation of a 3D computational model of cell migration.
Main Results:
- Blocking matrix degradation significantly altered protrusion size and osteoblast velocity.
- Matrix stiffening induced only minor changes in protrusion size and cell velocity.
- Computational model showed good agreement with experimental observations.
Conclusions:
- Osteoblast matrix pathfinding ability, linked to protrusion dynamics, is crucial for migration.
- ECM degradation plays a more significant role than matrix stiffness in osteoblast movement.
- Mechanochemical properties and protrusion mechanics are key factors in 3D cell migration models.
Related Concept Videos
01:09Cell Migration
18.4K
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.
18.4K
01:19Cell Migration
6.2K
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.
6.2K
01:40Bone Remodeling
40.1K
Bone remodeling is a continuous and balanced process of bone resorption by osteoclasts and bone formation by osteoblasts. In adults, it helps maintain bone mass and calcium homeostasis. While mechanical stress can stimulate turnover as part of the normal maintenance and reparative process, several hormones also regulate bone remodeling.
40.1K
01:31Osteoclasts in Bone Remodeling
3.8K
Osteoclasts are cells responsible for bone resorption and remodeling. They originate from hematopoietic progenitor cells present in the bone marrow. Numerous progenitor cells fuse to form multinucleated cells, each with 10-20 nuclei. A single osteoclast has a diameter of 150 to 200 µM. These cells have ruffled borders that break down the underlying bone tissue and release minerals such as calcium into the blood in bone resorption. Osteoclasts cling to bones with their ruffled edges during...
3.8K
01:23Role of Matrix Metalloproteases in Degradation of ECM
3.1K
Matrix metalloproteases (MMPs) are enzymes involved in the hydrolysis of proteins and glycoproteins of the extracellular matrix. MMPs are essential for the migration and proliferation of cells through the dense matrix network, throughout embryonic development, and throughout morphogenesis. The first MMP activity discovered was a collagenase in a tadpole's tail undergoing metamorphosis. The active collagen deposition and modifications lead to the morphogenesis of tadpoles into the adult...
3.1K
01:18Role of Myosin in Cell Migration
3.1K
Myosins are multimeric motor proteins involved in various cellular processes such as migration, adhesion, and proliferation. Myosin II is the most common type in animal cells, which binds and cross-links actin filaments.
Myosin II is a hexamer comprising two heavy chains with globular heads and coiled-coil tails, two regulatory light chains, and two essential light chains. The ATPase sites on the myosin heads hydrolyze ATP, and the released phosphate generates the force for contraction....
Myosin II is a hexamer comprising two heavy chains with globular heads and coiled-coil tails, two regulatory light chains, and two essential light chains. The ATPase sites on the myosin heads hydrolyze ATP, and the released phosphate generates the force for contraction....
3.1K