title: Biased excitable networks: how cells direct motion in response to gradients.
abstract: The actin cytoskeleton in motile cells has many of the hallmarks of an excitable medium, including the presence of propagating waves. This excitable behavior can account for the spontaneous migration of cells. A number of reports have suggested that the chemoattractant-mediated signaling can bias excitability, thus providing a means by which cell motility can be directed. In this review, we discuss some of these observations and theories proposed to explain them. We also suggest a mechanism for cell polarity that can be incorporated into the existing framework.
authors.affiliation: Department of Electrical & Computer Engineering, Johns Hopkins University, Baltimore, MD 21218, United States. pi@jhu.edu
authors.forename: Pablo A
authors.initials: PA
authors.lastname: Iglesias
authors.forename: Peter N
authors.initials: PN
authors.lastname: Devreotes
mesh_terms: D008841:Actin Cytoskeleton / Q000378:metabolism*; D002465:Cell Movement; D016764:Cell Polarity; D002630:Chemotactic Factors / Q000378:metabolism; D002633:Chemotaxis; D005057:Eukaryotic Cells / Q000166:cytology*; D015398:Signal Transduction
chemical_list: D002630:Chemotactic Factors