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Cell migration

Calcium flickers at the front

Nature Reviews Molecular Cell Biology volume 10, pages 86–87 (2009)Cite this article

Using high-resolution imaging, the authors observed that migrating, but not stationary, fibroblasts have abundant short-lived calcium flickers at their leading edge. These reduce sharply away from the cell front, showing a distribution pattern that is opposite to that of the global calcium gradient.

What is the molecular basis for a calcium flicker? When the authors applied calcium-free medium or specifically blocked the stretch-activated cation channel (SACC), they found that flicker activity was abolished. Furthermore, using patch-clamp combined with confocal imaging, the authors could visualize flickers when single-channel activity was induced by mechanical stress. These results suggest that calcium flickers are triggered by calcium influx through SACCs.

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ORIGINAL RESEARCH PAPER

  1. Wei, C. et al. Calcium flickers steer cell migration. Nature 31 Dec 2008 (doi:10.1038/nature07577)

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  1. Cell Migration Gateway,

    Kim Baumann

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  1. Kim Baumann
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Baumann, K. Calcium flickers at the front. Nat Rev Mol Cell Biol 10, 86–87 (2009). https://doi.org/10.1038/nrm2625

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