2010/04/01 by Kristen F. Swaney, Chuan‐Hsiang Huang, Peter N. Devreotes · 2 citations
Biochemistry, Genetics and Molecular Biology · Engineering · Agricultural and Biological Sciences · #Cellular Mechanics and Interactions #3D Printing in Biomedical Research #Biocrusts and Microbial Ecology
paper · doi:10.1146/annurev.biophys.093008.131228
openalex publication_date 2010/04/01 · openalex created_date 2025/10/10 · openalex updated_date 2026/08/02
Chemotaxis, the directed migration of cells in chemical gradients, is a vital process in normal physiology and in the pathogenesis of many diseases. Chemotactic cells display motility, directional sensing, and polarity. Motility refers to the random extension of pseudopodia, which may be driven by spontaneous actin waves that propagate through the cytoskeleton. Directional sensing is mediated by a system that detects temporal and spatial stimuli and biases motility toward the gradient. Polarity gives cells morphologically and functionally distinct leading and lagging edges by relocating proteins or their activities selectively to the poles. By exploiting the genetic advantages of Dictyostelium, investigators are working out the complex network of interactions between the proteins that have been implicated in the chemotactic processes of motility, directional sensing, and polarity.