Bringing up the rear: defining the roles of the uropod.
Renewed interest in cell shape has been prompted by a recent flood of evidence that indicates that cell polarity is essential for the biology of motile cells. The uropod, a protrusion at the rear of amoeboid motile cells such as leukocytes, exemplifies the importance of morphology in cell motility. Remodelling of cell shape by uropod-interfering agents disturbs cell migration. But even though the mechanisms by which uropods regulate cell migration are beginning to emerge, their functional significance remains enigmatic.
Departamento de Biología Vascular e Inflamación, Centro Nacional de Investigaciones Cardiovasculares, Madrid, Spain. fsanchez.hlpr@salud.madrid.org
Francisco
F
Sánchez-Madrid
Juan M
JM
Serrador
D000818:Animals; D002465:Cell Movement / Q000235:genetics / Q000502:physiology; D016764:Cell Polarity / Q000235:genetics / Q000502:physiology*; D048430:Cell Shape / Q000235:genetics / Q000502:physiology*; D056890:Eukaryota / Q000166:cytology