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On the role of myosin-induced actin depolymerization during cell migration.

Lingxing Yao1, Yoichiro Mori2,3, Sean X Sun4,5,6

  • 1Department of Mathematics, University of Akron, Akron, OH 44325.

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Myosin contraction indirectly influences mammalian cell migration by affecting actin depolymerization rates. This study quantifies this effect on cell velocity and energy output, revealing complex biphasic relationships.

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Area of Science:

  • Cell biology
  • Biophysics
  • Mechanobiology

Background:

  • Mammalian cell migration in open environments relies on actin polymerization and myosin contraction.
  • Existing research primarily examines myosin's direct role in focal adhesions and stress fibers.
  • The indirect impact of myosin contraction on cell migration via actin depolymerization remains under-investigated.

Purpose of the Study:

  • To quantify the influence of actin depolymerization rate, modulated by myosin contraction, on cell migration velocity and effective power output.
  • To derive scaling laws offering physical insights into the mechanics of cell migration.
  • To explore the biphasic relationship between migration dynamics and actin depolymerization/myosin contraction.

Main Methods:

  • Quantitative analysis of cell migration parameters.
  • Mathematical modeling to derive scaling laws.
  • Analysis of the interplay between actin dynamics and myosin activity.

Main Results:

  • Cell migration velocity exhibits a biphasic dependence on both actin depolymerization rate and myosin contraction.
  • Effective cellular energy output is determined by both cell velocity and myosin contractility.
  • Scaling laws were derived to elucidate the physical principles governing cell migration.

Conclusions:

  • Myosin contraction indirectly but significantly impacts cell migration through regulation of actin depolymerization.
  • Cellular energy expenditure during migration is a complex function of velocity and contractility.
  • Findings have implications for understanding in vivo processes like immune response and cancer metastasis.