Related Experiment Video
Updated: Oct 22, 2025
08:30
Single Cell Durotaxis Assay for Assessing Mechanical Control of Cellular Movement and Related Signaling Events
Published on: August 27, 2019
8.2K
Barotaxis: How cells live and move under pressure.
Ana-Maria Lennon-Duménil1, Hélène D Moreau1
1Institut Curie, PSL Research University, INSERM U932, F-75005 Paris, France.
Current Opinion in Cell Biology
|August 26, 2021
Summary
Cells navigate through tissues using physical and chemical signals. This study explores barotaxis, where hydraulic resistance guides cell movement, impacting immunity and cancer.
Area of Science:
- Cell biology
- Biophysics
- Physiology
Background:
- Cell migration is crucial for development and immunity.
- Cells respond to both chemical (chemokines) and physical cues in vivo.
- Tissue physical properties, like hydraulic resistance, are altered in disease but under-investigated.
Purpose of the Study:
- To discuss the role of hydraulic resistance in cell guidance, termed barotaxis.
- To describe the physical principles and molecular mechanisms underlying barotaxis.
- To speculate on barotaxis's role in immune and cancer cell functions.
Main Methods:
- Literature review and theoretical discussion.
- Analysis of physical principles governing fluid flow and cell movement in porous media.
- Examination of potential molecular mechanotransduction pathways.
Main Results:
- Hydraulic resistance acts as a physical cue guiding cell migration.
- Barotaxis is driven by pressure gradients and tissue hydraulic properties.
- Molecular mechanisms may involve mechanosensitive ion channels and cytoskeletal rearrangements.
Conclusions:
- Barotaxis represents a significant, underappreciated mode of cell guidance.
- Understanding barotaxis offers new perspectives on cell migration in health and disease.
- Further research into barotaxis could reveal novel therapeutic targets for immune and cancer pathologies.
Related Concept Videos
01:16Tonicity in Animals
4.8K
Tonicity describes the amount of solute in a solution. The measure of the tonicity of a solution, or the total amount of solutes dissolved in a specific amount of solution, is called its osmolarity. Three terms—hypotonic, isotonic, and hypertonic—are used to relate the osmolarity of a cell to the osmolarity of the extracellular fluid that contains the cells. In a hypotonic solution, such as tap water, the extracellular fluid has a lower concentration of solutes than the fluid inside...
4.8K
01:19Cell Migration
5.4K
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.
5.4K
01:18Fluid Movement Between Compartments
2.1K
The force applied by fluids against a surface, known as hydrostatic pressure, initiates the transfer of fluid among different compartments. Within our blood vessels, the blood's hydrostatic pressure is a result of the heart's pumping action. At the arteriolar end of capillaries, hydrostatic pressure (capillary blood pressure) exceeds the opposing colloid osmotic pressure created primarily by plasma proteins like albumin. This discrepancy in pressure propels plasma and nutrients from the...
2.1K
01:14Pressure of Fluids
17.5K
There are many examples of pressure in fluids in everyday life, such as in relation to blood (high or low blood pressure) and in relation to weather (high- and low-pressure weather systems). A given force can have a significantly different effect, depending on the area over which the force is exerted. For instance, a force applied to an area of 1 mm2 has a pressure that is 100 times greater than the same force applied to an area of 1 cm2. That's why a sharp needle is able to poke through...
17.5K
01:21Chemotaxis and Direction of Cell Migration
3.8K
Cells can detect chemical cues in their environment and reorganize the cytoskeleton to migrate toward them or away from them. This directional migration, called chemotaxis, is essential during embryogenesis and development, immune response, tissue repair and regeneration, and reproduction. These chemical cues can either attract or repel the cell's movement. For example, axon development is determined by a combination of chemoattractants and chemorepellents that direct the growing axon...
3.8K
01:16Cell Motility through Blebbing
2.1K
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...
Blebbing Through the Matrix
In multicellular...
2.1K