Related Experiment Video
Updated: Aug 2, 2025

Planar Gradient Diffusion System to Investigate Chemotaxis in a 3D Collagen Matrix
Published on: June 12, 2015
Mechanobiology of the relocation of proteins in advecting cells: in vitro experiments, multi-physics modeling, and
M Serpelloni1,2, M Arricca1,2, C Ravelli1,3
1The Mechanobiology research center, UNIBS, 25123, Brescia, Italy.
Abstract:
Cell motility-a cellular behavior of paramount relevance in embryonic development, immunological response, metastasis, or angiogenesis-demands a mechanical deformation of the cell membrane and influences the surface motion of molecules and their biochemical interactions. In this work, we develop a fully coupled multi-physics model able to capture and predict the protein flow on endothelial advecting plasma membranes. The model has been validated against co-designed in vitro experiments. The complete picture of the receptor dynamics has been understood, and limiting factors have been identified together with the laws that regulate receptor polarization. This computational approach might be insightful in the prediction of endothelial cell behavior in different tumoral environments, circumventing the time-consuming and expensive empirical characterization of each tumor.
Related Concept Videos
Mechanical Protein Functions
Overview of Protein Sorting and Transport
Protein sorting can be of two types: signal-based sorting and vesicle-based trafficking. In signal-based sorting, specific amino acid sequences called sorting signals target proteins to the proper location inside the cell either via gated transport or by protein translocation. In gated transport, folded...
Protein Diffusion in the Membrane
Actin Polymerization and Cell Motility
Actin cytoskeleton dynamics can produce pushing, pulling, and resistance forces that help the cell to migrate....
Role of Myosin in Cell Migration
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....
Protein Dynamics in Living Cells
Fluorescent recovery after photobleaching (FRAP) is a fluorescent-protein-based detection technique used to quantify protein movement rates within the cell. This method exposes a small portion of the cell to an intense laser beam. The laser beam causes permanent photobleaching of the fluorophore-tagged proteins in the exposed region. As the bleached...

