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

Cell Migration01:19

Cell Migration

4.9K
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.
4.9K
Cytoskeletal Coordination in Cell Migration01:32

Cytoskeletal Coordination in Cell Migration

4.8K
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...
4.8K
Role of Myosin in Cell Migration01:18

Role of Myosin in Cell Migration

2.3K
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....
2.3K
Chemotaxis and Direction of Cell Migration01:21

Chemotaxis and Direction of Cell Migration

3.4K
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...
3.4K
Actin Polymerization and Cell Motility01:13

Actin Polymerization and Cell Motility

5.3K
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....
5.3K
Cell Polarization by Rho Proteins01:21

Cell Polarization by Rho Proteins

2.7K
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,...
2.7K

You might also read

Related Articles

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

Sort by
Same author

A phenomenological multiscale framework for orientational interactions and viscoelasticity in migrating epithelial monolayers.

Bio Systems·2026
Same author

Irregular curvature at focal adhesions modulates Piezo1 activity and low-frequency ultrasound-induced apoptosis in cancer cells.

Physics of life reviews·2026
Same author

Marangoni-driven redistribution and activity of Piezo1 molecules in epithelial and cancer cells.

Advances in colloid and interface science·2026
Same author

Anisotropy and shear stress accumulation during collective migration of epithelial cells.

European biophysics journal : EBJ·2026
Same author

Effects along the epithelial-mesenchymal biointerface in direct cell self-organisation: Multiscale theoretical analysis.

Bio Systems·2026
Same author

Shear-stress-induced swirling flow in biological systems.

Bio Systems·2025

Related Experiment Video

Updated: Jul 16, 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

7.1K

Physics of collective cell migration.

Ivana Pajic-Lijakovic1, Milan Milivojevic2

  • 1Faculty of Technology and Metallurgy, Belgrade University, Karnegijeva 4, Belgrade, Serbia. iva@tmf.bg.ac.rs.

European Biophysics Journal : EBJ
|September 14, 2023
PubMed
Summary

Collective cell migration, crucial for development and disease, is influenced by physical forces like surface tension and viscoelasticity. This study models how these factors, including matrix surface tension gradients, drive cell cluster movement.

Keywords:
Cell and matrix residual stressesCell and matrix surface tensionsCollective cell migrationMarangoni effectViscoelasticity

More Related Videos

Concentric Gel System to Study the Biophysical Role of Matrix Microenvironment on 3D Cell Migration
11:43

Concentric Gel System to Study the Biophysical Role of Matrix Microenvironment on 3D Cell Migration

Published on: April 3, 2015

8.6K
Using the Dot Assay to Analyze Migration of Cell Sheets
09:42

Using the Dot Assay to Analyze Migration of Cell Sheets

Published on: December 5, 2017

6.9K

Related Experiment Videos

Last Updated: Jul 16, 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

7.1K
Concentric Gel System to Study the Biophysical Role of Matrix Microenvironment on 3D Cell Migration
11:43

Concentric Gel System to Study the Biophysical Role of Matrix Microenvironment on 3D Cell Migration

Published on: April 3, 2015

8.6K
Using the Dot Assay to Analyze Migration of Cell Sheets
09:42

Using the Dot Assay to Analyze Migration of Cell Sheets

Published on: December 5, 2017

6.9K

Area of Science:

  • Biophysics
  • Cell Biology
  • Tissue Engineering

Background:

  • Collective cell migration is vital for tissue development, wound healing, and cancer invasion.
  • Migration involves complex modes: intra-cluster movement, cluster extension/compression, and directional movement.
  • Physical parameters like viscoelasticity, surface tensions, and residual stresses significantly influence migration.

Purpose of the Study:

  • To elucidate the roles of physical parameters in collective cell migration using a biophysical model.
  • To investigate the impact of matrix surface tension gradients, previously overlooked, on cell migration.
  • To connect theoretical models with experimental data for a comprehensive understanding.

Main Methods:

  • Formulation of a theoretical biophysical model for collective cell migration.
  • Analysis of physical parameters: tissue/matrix surface tensions, interfacial tensions, and residual stresses.
  • Utilizing model systems like cell clusters on collagen I gel, integrating experimental data.

Main Results:

  • Dilational and volumetric viscoelasticity of cell clusters and substrates critically affect migration modes.
  • Gradients in surface and interfacial tensions, along with residual stresses, drive collective cell movement.
  • Cell-induced matrix surface tension gradients, stemming from cell traction, are identified as a key factor in directional migration.

Conclusions:

  • Physical parameters, particularly surface tension gradients and viscoelasticity, are fundamental drivers of collective cell migration.
  • The study highlights the significance of cell-induced matrix structural changes in generating migration-driving forces.
  • The developed biophysical model provides a framework for understanding complex cell-matrix interactions in various biological processes.