The local cell curvature guides pseudopodia towards chemoattractants.

ABSTRACT: Many eukaryotic cells use pseudopodia for movement towards chemoattractants. We developed a computer algorithm to identify pseudopodia, and analyzed how pseudopodia of Dictyostelium cells are guided toward cAMP. Surprisingly, the direction of a pseudopod is not actively oriented toward the gradient, but is always perpendicular to the local cell curvature. The gradient induces a bias in the position where the pseudopod emerges: pseudopodia more likely emerge at the side of the cell closer to the gradient where perpendicular pseudopodia are pointed automatically toward the chemoattractant. A mutant lacking the formin dDia2 is not spherical but has many invaginations. Although pseudopodia still emerge at the side closer to the gradient, the surface curvature is so irregular that many pseudopo

SUBMITTER: Van Haastert PJ 

PROVIDER: S-EPMC2799990 | biostudies-literature | 2009 Aug

REPOSITORIES: biostudies-literature