Mechanisms of leukocyte motility and chemotaxis

Motility is a complex process that depends on the coordination of many cellular functions, including the conversion of information from the environment into a series of coordinated responses that culminate in directed cell movement. Major advances have been made in the understanding of many functions involved in motility, such as transmembrane signaling events, leading to alterations in the actin cytoskeleton, and interactions between adhesion receptors and components of the cytoskeleton, providing a link between the extracellular and intracellular environments. Studies using yeast (Saccharomyces cerevisiae), slime molds (Dictyostelium discoideum) and nematodes (Caenorhabditis elegans) have advanced our understanding of the molecular biology of cytoskeletal proteins and have important implications for mammalian leukocyte motility.