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Related Concept Videos

Cell Migration01:19

Cell Migration

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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.
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Role of Myosin in Cell Migration01:18

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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....
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Cytoskeletal Coordination in Cell Migration01:32

Cytoskeletal Coordination in Cell Migration

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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...
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Cell Polarization by Rho Proteins01:21

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Cell polarity is the asymmetric distribution of cellular and membrane components, making one side of the cell different from the other. This polarity is essential to many processes such as embryogenesis, axon migration, glucose transport across epithelial cells, and directional cell migration. A migrating cell responds to intracellular or extracellular signals via molecular cascades that reorganize the actin cytoskeleton to establish this polarity. In these cells, the Rho family proteins Cdc42,...
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Mechanism of Lamellipodia Formation01:31

Mechanism of Lamellipodia Formation

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Cells migrating in response to external stimuli form lamellipodia, which are thin membrane protrusions supported by a mesh of linked, branched, or unbranched actin filaments. These actin filaments interact with myosin motor proteins, creating the dynamic actomyosin complex within the cytoskeleton. Contractility, or the ability to generate contractile stress, is inherent to the actomyosin complex. It helps cells detect the stiffness of the surrounding ECM and exert contractile force for...
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Actin Polymerization and Cell Motility01:13

Actin Polymerization and Cell Motility

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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.
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Related Experiment Video

Updated: Aug 3, 2025

Measuring Cell-Edge Protrusion Dynamics during Spreading using Live-Cell Microscopy
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Understanding the driving force for cell migration plasticity.

Junjie Chen1, Daniel Yan1, Yun Chen1

  • 1Department of Mechanical Engineering, Johns Hopkins University, Baltimore, Maryland; Institute for NanoBioTechnology, Johns Hopkins University, Baltimore, Maryland; Center for Cell Dynamics, Johns Hopkins University, Baltimore, Maryland.

Biophysical Journal
|April 12, 2023
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Summary

Understanding cell migration plasticity requires exploring the link between force generation and movement changes. Future measurement platforms and imaging techniques are proposed to investigate this complex cell behavior.

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Area of Science:

  • Cellular biology
  • Biophysics
  • Mechanobiology

Background:

  • Cell migration is a complex process with diverse modes.
  • Cell migration plasticity, the ability to change modes, remains poorly understood.
  • The relationship between force generation and migration mode transitions is a key mystery.

Purpose of the Study:

  • To explore future directions in measurement platforms and imaging techniques.
  • To facilitate the elucidation of the link between force generation and migration mode transition.
  • To address the mystery of cell migration plasticity.

Main Methods:

  • Reviewing the evolution of past measurement platforms and techniques.
  • Proposing desirable features for future platforms and techniques.
  • Focusing on imaging-based techniques for enhanced resolution.

Main Results:

  • Current tools have limitations in fully understanding cell migration.
  • Enhanced measurement accuracy and temporal/spatial resolution are needed.
  • Future advancements are crucial for unveiling migration plasticity.

Conclusions:

  • Elucidating cell migration plasticity requires advanced tools.
  • Improved measurement platforms and imaging are essential.
  • Understanding force generation's role in migration is a key future direction.