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Related Concept Videos

Cell Migration01:09

Cell Migration

18.6K
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.
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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

Role of Myosin in Cell Migration

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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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Types of Membrane Protrusions01:28

Types of Membrane Protrusions

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The protrusion of the cell surface is an initial step for several cellular processes, including cell migration, phagocytosis, and neurite outgrowth. These membrane protrusions are a result of cytoskeletal rearrangement. The most  widely observed cell protrusions include lamellipodia, pseudopodia, filopodia, microvilli, invadopodia, and podosomes. These protrusions can be of two types — static or dynamic.
The microvilli, an example of stable protrusions, are finger-like projections...
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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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Cytoskeletal Coordination in Cell Migration01:32

Cytoskeletal Coordination in Cell Migration

5.4K
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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Updated: Jan 17, 2026

Measuring Cell-Edge Protrusion Dynamics during Spreading using Live-Cell Microscopy
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Measuring Cell-Edge Protrusion Dynamics during Spreading using Live-Cell Microscopy

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

Pablo A Iglesias1,2,3,4, Parijat Banerjee5

  • 1Department of Electrical and Computer Engineering, Johns Hopkins University, Baltimore, Maryland 21218, USA pi@jhu.edu.

Cold Spring Harbor Perspectives in Biology
|September 22, 2025
PubMed
Summary
This summary is machine-generated.

Cell migration relies on coupled excitable networks: the signal transduction excitable network (STEN) and cytoskeletal excitable network (CEN). Their dynamic interplay drives cell movement and polarization, crucial for biological processes and disease.

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Quantitative Analysis of Cell Edge Dynamics during Cell Spreading
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Related Experiment Videos

Last Updated: Jan 17, 2026

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Quantitative Analysis of Cell Edge Dynamics during Cell Spreading
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Area of Science:

  • Cell Biology
  • Biophysics
  • Systems Biology

Background:

  • Cell migration is vital for development, immunity, and healing.
  • Dysregulated cell migration is linked to cancer metastasis.
  • Migration is governed by coupled signal transduction and cytoskeletal excitable networks.

Purpose of the Study:

  • To review recent advances in understanding cell migration.
  • To highlight the role of excitable systems in cell motility.
  • To discuss the application of mathematical modeling in this field.

Main Methods:

  • Review of experimental findings on cell migration mechanisms.
  • Analysis of theoretical and computational models of excitable networks.
  • Integration of nonlinear dynamics and reaction-diffusion systems.

Main Results:

  • Signal transduction excitable network (STEN) and cytoskeletal excitable network (CEN) are distinct but coupled systems.
  • STEN propagates signals; CEN generates protrusions.
  • Dynamic feedback between STEN and CEN regulates cell polarization and directionality.

Conclusions:

  • Excitable systems are fundamental to cell motility.
  • Mathematical modeling provides insights into pseudopod formation, chemotaxis, and mechanosensation.
  • Understanding these networks is key to addressing diseases involving abnormal cell migration.