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 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
Cell Motility through Blebbing01:16

Cell Motility through Blebbing

1.9K
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...
1.9K
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
Actin Polymerization and Cell Motility01:13

Actin Polymerization and Cell Motility

5.2K
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....
5.2K
Cytoskeletal Coordination in Cell Migration01:32

Cytoskeletal Coordination in Cell Migration

4.7K
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...
4.7K
Cell Migration01:09

Cell Migration

17.0K
Cell migration, the process by which cells move from one location to another, is essential for the proper development and viability of organisms throughout their life. When cells are not able to migrate properly to their ordained locations, various disorders may occur. For example, disruption in cell migration causes chronic inflammatory diseases such as arthritis.
17.0K

You might also read

Related Articles

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

Sort by
Same author

Evaluating the robustness and readiness of large frontier models in health AI applications.

Nature medicine·2026
Same author

Membrane Kymograph Generator: A cross-platform GUI software for automated generation and analysis of kymographs along dynamic cell boundaries.

bioRxiv : the preprint server for biology·2026
Same author

Spatial distribution of cytoskeleton-mediated feedback controls cell polarization: A computational study.

PLoS computational biology·2025
Same author

From Signals to Protrusions: Modeling Excitable Systems in Cell Migration.

Cold Spring Harbor perspectives in biology·2025
Same author

Signaling and actin waves at a glance.

Journal of cell science·2025
Same author

Complementary cytoskeletal feedback loops control signal transduction excitability and cell polarity.

Nature communications·2025
Same journal

Author Correction: Mitochondrial fission links ECM mechanotransduction to metabolic redox homeostasis and metastatic chemotherapy resistance.

Nature cell biology·2026
Same journal

An atlas of primate insular cortex reveals a signal-processing strategy in von Economo neurons.

Nature cell biology·2026
Same journal

Primate neurons with special signalling logic.

Nature cell biology·2026
Same journal

Cell surface liposome binding (CLiB) allows lipid-binding probe engineering via high-throughput screening.

Nature cell biology·2026
Same journal

Mapping the human female reproductive tract.

Nature cell biology·2026
Same journal

Learning from stem cell-based embryo models.

Nature cell biology·2026
See all related articles

Related Experiment Video

Updated: Jun 22, 2025

Author Spotlight: Optogenetic Inhibition of Rho1-Mediated Actomyosin Contractility Coupled with Measurement of Epithelial Tension in Drosophila Embryos
12:35

Author Spotlight: Optogenetic Inhibition of Rho1-Mediated Actomyosin Contractility Coupled with Measurement of Epithelial Tension in Drosophila Embryos

Published on: April 14, 2023

1.3K

Ras suppression potentiates rear actomyosin contractility-driven cell polarization and migration.

Yiyan Lin1,2, Dhiman Sankar Pal3, Parijat Banerjee4

  • 1Department of Cell Biology and Center for Cell Dynamics, School of Medicine, Johns Hopkins University, Baltimore, MD, USA.

Nature Cell Biology
|July 1, 2024
PubMed
Summary
This summary is machine-generated.

Ras GTPases regulate cell migration, but their role is complex. Inhibiting Ras activity can paradoxically enhance cell polarization and speed, impacting chemotaxis and offering new drug design strategies.

More Related Videos

Rapid and Robust Analysis of Cellular and Molecular Polarization Induced by Chemokine Signaling
10:03

Rapid and Robust Analysis of Cellular and Molecular Polarization Induced by Chemokine Signaling

Published on: December 12, 2014

8.1K
Modeling Paracrine Noncanonical Wnt Signaling In Vitro
11:14

Modeling Paracrine Noncanonical Wnt Signaling In Vitro

Published on: December 10, 2021

1.6K

Related Experiment Videos

Last Updated: Jun 22, 2025

Author Spotlight: Optogenetic Inhibition of Rho1-Mediated Actomyosin Contractility Coupled with Measurement of Epithelial Tension in Drosophila Embryos
12:35

Author Spotlight: Optogenetic Inhibition of Rho1-Mediated Actomyosin Contractility Coupled with Measurement of Epithelial Tension in Drosophila Embryos

Published on: April 14, 2023

1.3K
Rapid and Robust Analysis of Cellular and Molecular Polarization Induced by Chemokine Signaling
10:03

Rapid and Robust Analysis of Cellular and Molecular Polarization Induced by Chemokine Signaling

Published on: December 12, 2014

8.1K
Modeling Paracrine Noncanonical Wnt Signaling In Vitro
11:14

Modeling Paracrine Noncanonical Wnt Signaling In Vitro

Published on: December 10, 2021

1.6K

Area of Science:

  • Cell Biology
  • Molecular Biology
  • Biophysics

Background:

  • Ras proteins are known regulators of cell proliferation.
  • The role of Ras in cell migration and motility remains less understood.
  • Ras GTPase-activating proteins (RasGAPs) modulate Ras activity.

Purpose of the Study:

  • To investigate the direct effects of Ras activity on cell motility and polarity.
  • To explore the function of RasGAPs in regulating cell migration dynamics.
  • To understand the context-dependent consequences of Ras inhibition on cell movement.

Main Methods:

  • Utilized Dictyostelium amoebae and HL-60 neutrophils/macrophages as model systems.
  • Employed optogenetic recruitment of RasGAPs (C2GAPB, RASAL3) to specific cellular locations.
  • Integrated experimental observations with computational simulations.

Main Results:

  • Recruiting RasGAPs to the cell front inhibited protrusions and altered migration direction.
  • Uniform RasGAP recruitment led to enhanced cell polarization and faster migration.
  • RasGAP-mediated polarization was dependent on myosin II and mTORC2 signaling pathways.
  • Computational models confirmed Ras levels control feedback loops influencing cell polarity.

Conclusions:

  • Ras activity has counterintuitive effects on cell migration, with inhibition potentially promoting directed movement.
  • RasGAP-mediated polarization involves rear contraction and front actin polymerization.
  • Findings have significant implications for developing targeted therapies against oncogenic Ras.