title: Gradient sensing during chemotaxis.
abstract: Eukaryotic cells have the ability to sense chemoattractant gradients and to migrate toward the sources of attractants. The chemical gradient-guided cell movement is referred to as chemotaxis. Chemoattractants are detected by members of G-protein-coupled receptors (GPCRs) that link to heterotrimeric G-proteins. The GPCR/G-protein sensing machinery is able to translate external chemoattractants fields into intercellular cues, which direct reorganization of the actin cytoskeleton that drives cell movement. Here, I review our current understanding of the formation of chemoattractant gradients in vivo, the GPCR-mediated gradient sensing, and the sophisticated signaling network that guides the function of the actin cytoskeleton.
authors.affiliation: Chemotaxis Signal Section, Laboratory of Immunogenetics, NIAID, NIH, Twinbrook II Facility, 12441 Parklawn Drive, Rockville, MD 20852, United States. tjin@niaid.nih.gov
authors.forename: Tian
authors.initials: T
authors.lastname: Jin
mesh_terms: D000818:Animals; D002630:Chemotactic Factors / Q000378:metabolism; D002633:Chemotaxis; D004023:Dictyostelium / Q000166:cytology / Q000378:metabolism; D005057:Eukaryotic Cells / Q000378:metabolism*; D019204:GTP-Binding Proteins / Q000378:metabolism; D006801:Humans; D043562:Receptors, G-Protein-Coupled / Q000378:metabolism; D015398:Signal Transduction
chemical_list: D002630:Chemotactic Factors; D043562:Receptors, G-Protein-Coupled; D019204:GTP-Binding Proteins