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Microscope-based techniques to study cell adhesion and migration

Nature Cell Biology volume 4, pages E91–E96 (2002)Cite this article

Abstract

Modern light microscopy has evolved to provide a variety of quantitative imaging techniques and also the capability to perturb structure–function relationships in living cells. These advances have been especially useful in the study of cell adhesion and migration. This review will focus on how such microscopy-based techniques can be used in situ to study molecular interactions and dynamics, to locally perturb actin-based structures and to measure the traction forces exerted by motile cells.

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Figure 1: Techniques to determine dynamic composition, molecular association and transport/exchange for adhesive components.
Figure 2: Light-directed molecular perturbation techniques.
Figure 3: Traction force microscopy.

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Acknowledgements

Work in this laboratory is supported by National Institutes of Health grants GM35325, the Cell Migration Consortium, IK54 GM64346 and by P60-DE13079 from the National Institute for Dental and Cranial Research.

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Authors and Affiliations

  1. Department of Cell and Developmental Biology, University of North Carolina School of Medicine, Chapel Hill, 27599-7090, NC, USA

    Partha Roy, Zenon Rajfur, Pawel Pomorski & Ken Jacobson

  2. Lineberger Comprehensive Cancer Center, University of North Carolina School of Medicine, Chapel Hill, 27599-7090, NC, USA

    Ken Jacobson

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Roy, P., Rajfur, Z., Pomorski, P. et al. Microscope-based techniques to study cell adhesion and migration. Nat Cell Biol 4, E91–E96 (2002). https://doi.org/10.1038/ncb0402-e91

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