How do cells navigate up gradients of adhesive proteins?
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Termed "Haptotaxis", this effect is ubiquitous in cell migration, but it's mechanism was poorly understood

We show that passive friction directs cells & explains complex trajectories on gradients

👉 www.nature.com/articles/s41...

A striking observation was that the tissue shows dramatic thinning at the animal pole, but not at the lateral sides

How do cells migrate without substrate, e.g. in embryogenesis, when extra-cellular matrix has not yet formed?

Check out our paper in @cp-cellreports.bsky.social on zebrafish lateral mesendoderm migration, led by @stetavano.bsky.social @heisenbergcplab.bsky.social!

www.cell.com/cell-reports...