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LamelliQuant: An Automated Analysis Pipeline for Lamellipodia Protrusion Dynamics.
Ian Eder1, Abrahim Kashkoush1, Partha Roy1,2
1Department of Bioengineering, University of Pittsburgh, Pittsburgh, Pennsylvania, USA.
Cytoskeleton (Hoboken, N.J.)
|January 5, 2026
Summary
LamelliQuant is a new automated pipeline that quantifies cell edge dynamics during migration. This tool accurately measures lamellipodial protrusion and retraction, offering a high-throughput alternative to manual analysis.
Area of Science:
- Cell biology
- Biophysics
- Image analysis
Background:
- Lamellipodia are crucial for cell migration.
- Quantifying their dynamics is essential but often manual and time-consuming.
Purpose of the Study:
- To develop an automated image analysis pipeline, LamelliQuant, for quantifying lamellipodial protrusion and retraction dynamics.
- To provide a robust and high-throughput method for analyzing cell migration dynamics.
Main Methods:
- Developed LamelliQuant, integrating ImageJ and R.
- Workflow includes kymograph generation, edge trajectory extraction, and peak detection for protrusion/retraction events.
- Utilized LOESS smoothing for quantitative analysis.
Main Results:
- LamelliQuant accurately quantifies lamellipodial protrusion and retraction dynamics.
- Automated measurements showed strong concordance with manual tracking.
- The pipeline successfully reproduced published results.
Conclusions:
- LamelliQuant provides a validated, automated, and high-throughput method for analyzing cell lamellipodia dynamics.
- It offers a significant improvement over manual kymograph analysis.
- Enables efficient investigation of cell migration and membrane protrusion.
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