Quasi-periodic migration of single cells on short microlanes.

Quasi-periodic migration of single cells on short microlanes.

Blog Article

Cell migration on Razor microlanes represents a suitable and simple platform for the exploration of the molecular mechanisms underlying cell cytoskeleton dynamics.Here, we report on the quasi-periodic movement of cells confined in stripe-shaped microlanes.We observe persistent polarized cell shapes and directed pole-to-pole motion within the microlanes.Cells depolarize at one end of a given microlane, followed by delayed repolarization towards the opposite end.We analyze cell motility via the spatial velocity distribution, the velocity frequency spectrum and the reversal time as a measure for depolarization and spontaneous repolarization of cells at the microlane ends.

The frequent encounters of a boundary in the stripe geometry provides a robust framework for quantitative investigations of the cytoskeleton protrusion and repolarization dynamics.In a first advance to rigorously test physical models of cell migration, we find that the statistics of the cell migration is recapitulated by a Cellular Potts model with a minimal description of cytoskeleton dynamics.Using LifeAct-GFP transfected cells and microlanes with differently shaped ends, we show that the local Swim - Goggles deformation of the leading cell edge in response to the tip geometry can locally either amplify or quench actin polymerization, while leaving the average reversal times unaffected.