Experiment, theory, and the keratocyte: An ode to a simple model for cell motility

Alex Mogilner; Erin L Barnhart; Kinneret Keren

doi:10.1016/j.semcdb.2019.10.019

Experiment, theory, and the keratocyte: An ode to a simple model for cell motility

Semin Cell Dev Biol. 2020 Apr:100:143-151. doi: 10.1016/j.semcdb.2019.10.019. Epub 2019 Nov 9.

Authors

Alex Mogilner¹, Erin L Barnhart², Kinneret Keren³

Affiliations

¹ Courant Institute of Mathematical Sciences, New York University, New York, NY 10012, USA; Department of Biology, New York University, New York, NY 10012, USA.
² Department of Biological Sciences, Columbia University, New York, NY 10027, USA.
³ Department of Physics, Russell Berrie Nanotechnology Institute, Network Biology Research Laboratories, Technion-Israel Institute of Technology, Haifa 32000, Israel.

PMID: 31718950
DOI: 10.1016/j.semcdb.2019.10.019

Abstract

Lamellipodial locomotion of fish keratocytes is one of the simplest examples of actin-based motility. In the last four decades, fruitful collaborations between experimentalists and theorists have resulted in a detailed mechanistic understanding of the self-organized lamellipodial engine powering keratocyte motility. Here we review the mechanical mechanisms underlying keratocyte migration, highlighting the interplay between modeling and experiments that led to insights regarding the dynamics of actin network organization, cell shape, and self-polarization. We discuss how to apply lessons learnt from keratocytes to understand cell migration in more complex, physiological contexts.

Keywords: Actin; Cell mechanics; Cell motility; Fish keratocyte; Lamellipodium; Myosin.

Publication types

Research Support, Non-U.S. Gov't
Research Support, U.S. Gov't, Non-P.H.S.
Review

MeSH terms

Actins / metabolism
Animals
Cell Movement*
Epidermal Cells / cytology*
Epidermal Cells / metabolism*
Models, Biological*
Zebrafish

Substances

Actins