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

6.3K
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.
6.3K
Cell Migration01:09

Cell Migration

18.4K
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.
18.4K
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...
5.4K
Mechanism of Lamellipodia Formation01:31

Mechanism of Lamellipodia Formation

3.5K
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...
3.5K
Chemotaxis and Direction of Cell Migration01:21

Chemotaxis and Direction of Cell Migration

4.3K
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...
4.3K
Role of Myosin in Cell Migration01:18

Role of Myosin in Cell Migration

3.1K
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....
3.1K

You might also read

Related Articles

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

Sort by
Same author

A screen for adherens junction proteins regulating collective cell migration and testis morphogenesis reveals important roles for the Rab GAP RN-tre and the kinase Par-1.

bioRxiv : the preprint server for biology·2026
Same author

DySTrack - a modular smart microscopy tool for live tracking of dynamic samples on modern commercial microscopes.

Journal of cell science·2026
Same author

Force coordination distinguishes epithelial and mesenchymal modes of collective chemotaxis.

The Journal of cell biology·2026
Same author

A key role of Canoe's intrinsically disordered region in linking cell junctions to the cytoskeleton.

The Journal of cell biology·2025
Same author

Forcing cell fate.

Nature cell biology·2025
Same author

Plexin/Semaphorin antagonism orchestrates collective cell migration and organ sculpting by regulating epithelial-mesenchymal balance.

Science advances·2025
Same journal

Recruitment and release of XPG during NER is controlled by pre- and post-incision factors and EXO1.

The Journal of cell biology·2026
Same journal

Meiotic CENP-C supports centromere assembly and kinetochore recruitment in spermatogenesis.

The Journal of cell biology·2026
Same journal

Phosphatidylserine and RhoB connect PI4P and PA metabolism to maintain plasma membrane identity.

The Journal of cell biology·2026
Same journal

PIKfyve influences inter-organelle contacts with lysosomes to modulate the endoplasmic reticulum.

The Journal of cell biology·2026
Same journal

Sequential changes in calcium transients during M phase regulate cardiomyocyte proliferation.

The Journal of cell biology·2026
Same journal

Role of the nonhelical tailpiece of myosin-II in regulating filament architecture and function.

The Journal of cell biology·2026
See all related articles

Related Experiment Video

Updated: Jan 6, 2026

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

7.4K

Patterning in motion: Cell interfaces guide mesenchymal collective migration and morphogenesis.

Maik C Bischoff1, Roberto Mayor2,3

  • 1Institute of Integrative Cell Biology and Physiology, Cells in Motion (CiM) Interfaculty Center, University of Münster , Münster, Germany.

The Journal of Cell Biology
|September 23, 2025
PubMed
Summary
This summary is machine-generated.

This review explores mesenchymal cell migration, focusing on how cell shape and contact-mediated rules drive collective behaviors like swarming and intercalation, crucial for development and disease.

More Related Videos

In Vitro Cultivation Techniques for Modeling Liver Organogenesis, Building Assembloids, and Designing Synthetic Tissues using Human Cell Lines
08:50

In Vitro Cultivation Techniques for Modeling Liver Organogenesis, Building Assembloids, and Designing Synthetic Tissues using Human Cell Lines

Published on: April 18, 2025

839
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

8.9K

Related Experiment Videos

Last Updated: Jan 6, 2026

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

7.4K
In Vitro Cultivation Techniques for Modeling Liver Organogenesis, Building Assembloids, and Designing Synthetic Tissues using Human Cell Lines
08:50

In Vitro Cultivation Techniques for Modeling Liver Organogenesis, Building Assembloids, and Designing Synthetic Tissues using Human Cell Lines

Published on: April 18, 2025

839
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

8.9K

Area of Science:

  • Cell Biology
  • Developmental Biology
  • Cancer Biology

Background:

  • Collective cell migration is vital for development, wound healing, and cancer progression.
  • Epithelial cell migration is well-studied, but mesenchymal cell migration remains less understood.
  • Mesenchymal cells exhibit distinct migratory behaviors compared to epithelial cells.

Purpose of the Study:

  • To explore less-understood modes of collective cell migration driven by mesenchymal cells.
  • To propose a framework for understanding contact-dependent collective cell behaviors by analyzing individual cell structures and dynamics.
  • To compare key mesenchymal cell migration processes through the lens of cell shape and contact-mediated rules.

Main Methods:

  • Review of existing literature on collective cell migration, focusing on mesenchymal phenotypes.
  • Conceptual framework proposing cells as structures of dynamic parts to understand collective behavior.
  • Comparative analysis of contact inhibition of locomotion, mesenchymal cell intercalation, and heterotypic swarm behaviors.

Main Results:

  • Mesenchymal cell migration involves complex, swarm-like behaviors emerging from cell-cell contacts.
  • Local cell shapes significantly influence single-cell behaviors and contribute to collective dynamics.
  • Contact inhibition of locomotion and mesenchymal cell intercalation are key processes regulated by cell-cell interactions.

Conclusions:

  • Understanding mesenchymal cell migration requires analyzing individual cell components and their interactions.
  • Contact-mediated rules govern cell motility and can encode patterns for tissue development and organogenesis.
  • This framework offers insights into how complex collective behaviors arise from simple, local interactions.