Filopodia
Filopodia - Related Videos
01:39
Mechanism of Filopodia Formation
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2023
Filopodia are thin, actin-rich cellular protrusions that play an important role in many fundamental cellular functions. They vary in their occurrence, length, and positioning in different cell types, suggesting their diverse roles. Their main function is to guide migrating cells during normal tissue morphogenesis or cancer metastasis by recognizing and making initial contacts with the extracellular matrix. However, they can also act as stationary cell anchors or help to establish communication...
11:51
Purification of the Dendritic Filopodia-rich Fraction
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2019
In this protocol, we introduce a method for purifying the dendritic filopodia-rich fraction from the phagocytic cup-like protrusion structure on cultured hippocampal neurons by taking advantage of the specific and strong affinity between a dendritic filopodial adhesion molecule, TLCN, and an extracellular matrix molecule, vitronectin.
08:12
A Graphical User Interface for Software-assisted Tracking of Protein Concentration in Dynamic Cellular Protrusions
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2017
We present a software solution for semi-automated tracking of relative protein concentration along the length of dynamic cellular protrusions.
03:18
In Vitro Assessment of Aggregated Amyloid-β on Neuronal Growth Cone Collapse
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2025
This video demonstrates an in vitro assessment of neuronal growth cone collapse by amyloid-β (Aβ) aggregates. Treating the neurons with Aβ aggregates causes cytoskeletal destabilization, leading to the collapse of growth cones at the tip of the axons. The treated cells are compared with control cells to assess the extent of growth cone collapse.
04:33
Real-Time Imaging of Macrophage Phagocytosis of IgG-Opsonized Red Blood Cells
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2025
This video demonstrates an assay to monitor independent macrophage-mediated red blood cell (RBC) phagocytosis events. Mouse immunoglobulin G (IgG)-opsonized human RBCs are incubated with mouse macrophages and observed under a confocal microscope. The RBCs are engulfed by macrophages via a phagocytic cup formation and targeted for lysosomal degradation.
FAQs
Extension begins when actin filaments polymerize into parallel bundles beneath the plasma membrane. As these filaments grow, the bundle exerts a pushing force that advances the membrane and lengthens the protrusion. This mechanism links the internal cytoskeleton to environmental sensing, because continued filament growth can enlarge the area available for sampling before the structure later retracts.
Actin-associated proteins give the protrusion its organized, persistent architecture. They help arrange parallel actin filaments into a bundle and stabilize that bundle beneath the membrane, allowing the extension to retain a defined structure while it interacts with the surroundings. Their role is therefore central to connecting actin organization with reliable environmental sampling.
Repeated growth and retraction make filopodia dynamic sensors rather than fixed structures. A cell can extend them to inspect nearby chemical or physical conditions, then alter their presence as those conditions change. This flexibility supports the formation or revision of cell contacts and helps explain how protrusion dynamics contribute to migration and tissue organization.
Filopodia place a narrow, actin-supported membrane extension into the cell’s surrounding environment, enabling detection of chemical and physical cues. Information gathered through these contacts can influence how the cell interacts with nearby structures and where it moves. This sensing function is especially relevant when cells establish contacts, migrate, or organize within developing and repairing tissues.
Researchers can compare the organization of actin bundles with changes in protrusion growth and retraction to investigate how cells sample their surroundings. These observations provide context for studying cell adhesion, signaling, and environmental sensing. They also help connect cell-level behavior with larger processes such as neuronal growth, migration, and tissue organization.
Filopodia are relevant wherever cells must detect surroundings, establish contacts, or change position. Their roles are therefore studied in development, wound repair, and tissue organization, as well as in neuronal growth and cell adhesion. Because abnormal cell movement contributes to disease, filopodial structure and dynamics also offer a way to examine those pathological behaviors.