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

Actin Polymerization and Cell Motility01:13

Actin Polymerization and Cell Motility

6.2K
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.
Actin cytoskeleton dynamics can produce pushing, pulling, and resistance forces that help the cell to migrate....
6.2K
Cytoskeletal Coordination in Cell Migration01:32

Cytoskeletal Coordination in Cell Migration

5.3K
A migrating cell changes its shape during the cyclic events of attachment and detachment from the substratum and repositions the cell organelles correspondingly. These complex events are orchestrated by the dynamic cytoskeletal network comprising actin filaments, intermediate filaments, and microtubules. Cytoskeletal crosstalk — the direct and indirect communication between the different components — is crucial for this coordination. Direct communication involves various linker...
5.3K
Role of Myosin in Cell Migration01:18

Role of Myosin in Cell Migration

2.9K
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....
2.9K
Cell Motility through Blebbing01:16

Cell Motility through Blebbing

2.3K
Blebs are a type of membrane protrusion formed by the internal hydrostatic pressure of the cytoplasm. Blebs are observed in several cell types, including fibroblasts, immune cells, and single-celled organisms like the amoeba. The primary function of blebs is cell locomotion and apoptosis, but they are also found during necrosis and cell division. The life cycle of a bleb comprises an initiation phase followed by the expansion and retraction phases.
Blebbing Through the Matrix
In multicellular...
2.3K
Cell Migration01:09

Cell Migration

18.1K
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.
18.1K
Cell Migration01:19

Cell Migration

6.1K
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.
6.1K

You might also read

Related Articles

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

Sort by
Same author

Mesoscale modelling of starch digestion.

Molecular physics·2026
Same author

Flow coupling alters topological phase transition in nematic liquid crystals.

Journal of physics. Condensed matter : an Institute of Physics journal·2026
Same author

Emergent Ordering in Active Fluids Driven by Substrate Deformations: Mechanisms and Patterning Regimes.

Physical review letters·2026
Same author

Density-velocity relation is scale-dependent in epithelial monolayers.

Soft matter·2026
Same author

Emergent universal long-range structure in random-organizing systems.

Nature communications·2026
Same author

Hydrodynamic Bend Instability of Motile Particles on a Substrate.

Physical review letters·2026
Same journal

RNA-ligand complexes and the attenuation of neutral confinement in the evolution of RNA secondary structures.

Journal of the Royal Society, Interface·2026
Same journal

Individual detachment-reintegration events in homing pigeon flocks and the dominance of directional adjustment in their kinematic features.

Journal of the Royal Society, Interface·2026
Same journal

Thermal stress disrupts symbiotic fluid dynamics in bobtail squid.

Journal of the Royal Society, Interface·2026
Same journal

Distinct geometrical landscapes distinguish between modes of tristability in gene regulatory networks.

Journal of the Royal Society, Interface·2026
Same journal

Slow modulation of the contraction patterns in Physarum polycephalum.

Journal of the Royal Society, Interface·2026
Same journal

Moo-ving mountains: grazing agents drive terracette formation on steep hillslopes.

Journal of the Royal Society, Interface·2026
See all related articles

Related Experiment Video

Updated: Dec 12, 2025

Traction Microscopy Integrated with Microfluidics for Chemotactic Collective Migration
10:53

Traction Microscopy Integrated with Microfluidics for Chemotactic Collective Migration

Published on: October 13, 2019

7.4K

Active inter-cellular forces in collective cell motility.

Guanming Zhang1, Romain Mueller1, Amin Doostmohammadi2

  • 1The Rudolf Peierls Centre for Theoretical Physics, University of Oxford, Parks Road, Oxford OX1 3PU, UK.

Journal of the Royal Society, Interface
|August 13, 2020
PubMed
Summary
This summary is machine-generated.

This study models cell sheet dynamics, revealing a transition from jammed to liquid states with increased polar or intercellular forces. Flocking behavior emerges when cell polarity aligns with velocity, but is disrupted by strong intercellular forces.

Keywords:
active mattercell motilityphase-field model

More Related Videos

Integrative Toolkit to Analyze Cellular Signals: Forces, Motion, Morphology, and Fluorescence
14:55

Integrative Toolkit to Analyze Cellular Signals: Forces, Motion, Morphology, and Fluorescence

Published on: March 5, 2022

4.2K
Assessment of Dictyostelium discoideum Response to Acute Mechanical Stimulation
10:40

Assessment of Dictyostelium discoideum Response to Acute Mechanical Stimulation

Published on: November 9, 2017

7.2K

Related Experiment Videos

Last Updated: Dec 12, 2025

Traction Microscopy Integrated with Microfluidics for Chemotactic Collective Migration
10:53

Traction Microscopy Integrated with Microfluidics for Chemotactic Collective Migration

Published on: October 13, 2019

7.4K
Integrative Toolkit to Analyze Cellular Signals: Forces, Motion, Morphology, and Fluorescence
14:55

Integrative Toolkit to Analyze Cellular Signals: Forces, Motion, Morphology, and Fluorescence

Published on: March 5, 2022

4.2K
Assessment of Dictyostelium discoideum Response to Acute Mechanical Stimulation
10:40

Assessment of Dictyostelium discoideum Response to Acute Mechanical Stimulation

Published on: November 9, 2017

7.2K

Area of Science:

  • Cellular dynamics
  • Biophysics
  • Mathematical modeling

Background:

  • Confluent cell sheets exhibit complex collective behaviors.
  • Cellular behavior is influenced by internal cytoskeletal propulsion (polar forces) and external cell-cell interactions (intercellular forces).

Purpose of the Study:

  • To investigate the interplay between polar and intercellular forces in confluent cell sheets.
  • To model and compare cell sheet dynamics under different cell polarity alignment conditions.

Main Methods:

  • Utilized a phase-field model to simulate cell sheet behavior.
  • Analyzed dynamics for three polarity alignment scenarios: main axis, velocity, and persistent random walk.

Main Results:

  • Observed a phase transition from a jammed to a liquid state in all scenarios upon increasing polar or intercellular forces.
  • Identified a unique flocking state (solid or liquid) when cell polarity aligns with velocity, dependent on strong polar forces.
  • Demonstrated that increased intercellular activity disrupts the flocking state.

Conclusions:

  • Cell sheet collective behavior is governed by a balance between polar and intercellular forces.
  • Polarity alignment significantly impacts emergent dynamics, with velocity alignment enabling flocking.
  • The model provides insights into the mechanisms driving cell sheet organization and motility.