---
DOAJ_listed: '1'
OA_place: publisher
OA_type: gold
PlanS_conform: '1'
_id: '21384'
abstract:
- lang: eng
text: 'Cell migration in vivo is often guided by chemical signaling, i.e., chemotaxis.
For immune cells performing chemotaxis in the organism, this process is influenced
by the complex geometry of the tissue environment. In this study, we use a theoretical
model of branched cell migration on a network to explore the cellular response
to chemical gradients. The model predicts the response of a branched cell to a
chemical gradient: how the cell reorients its internal polarity and how it navigates
through a complex environment up a chemical gradient. We then compare the model’s
predictions with experimental observations of neutrophils migrating to the site
of a laser-inflicted wound in a zebrafish larva fin, and neutrophils migrating
in vitro inside a regular lattice of pillars. We find that the model captures
the details of the subcellular response to the chemokine gradient, as well as
qualitative characteristics of the large-scale migration, suggesting that the
neutrophils behave as fast cells, which explains the functionality of these immune
cells.'
acknowledgement: "N.S.G. is the incumbent of the Lee and William Abramowitz Professorial
Chair of Biophysics (Weizmann Institute), and acknowledges support from the Royal
Society Wolfson Visiting Fellowship, and Human Frontier Science Program grant RGP0032/2022.
Work by M.S., I.W., G.R. and A.G. was supported by the Leverhulme Trust (grant RPG-2021-226)
and the European Research Council (ERC) under the Horizon 2020 program and UKRI,
Grant agreement No.\r\nEP/Y02799X/1. M.S. and I.d.V acknowledge support by the European
Research Council (grant ERC-SyG 101071793 to M.S). The funders had no role in study
design, data collection and\r\nanalysis, decision to publish, or preparation of
the manuscript."
article_number: e1013934
article_processing_charge: Yes
article_type: original
author:
- first_name: Jiayi
full_name: Liu, Jiayi
last_name: Liu
- first_name: Jonathan E.
full_name: Ron, Jonathan E.
last_name: Ron
- first_name: Giulia
full_name: Rinaldi, Giulia
last_name: Rinaldi
- first_name: Ivanna
full_name: Williantarra, Ivanna
last_name: Williantarra
- first_name: Antonios
full_name: Georgantzoglou, Antonios
last_name: Georgantzoglou
- first_name: Ingrid
full_name: de Vries, Ingrid
id: 4C7D837E-F248-11E8-B48F-1D18A9856A87
last_name: de Vries
- first_name: Michael K
full_name: Sixt, Michael K
id: 41E9FBEA-F248-11E8-B48F-1D18A9856A87
last_name: Sixt
orcid: 0000-0002-6620-9179
- first_name: Milka
full_name: Sarris, Milka
last_name: Sarris
- first_name: Nir S.
full_name: Gov, Nir S.
last_name: Gov
citation:
ama: Liu J, Ron JE, Rinaldi G, et al. Modelling chemotaxis of branched cells in
complex environments provides insights into immune cell navigation. PLOS Computational
Biology. 2026;22(2). doi:10.1371/journal.pcbi.1013934
apa: Liu, J., Ron, J. E., Rinaldi, G., Williantarra, I., Georgantzoglou, A., de
Vries, I., … Gov, N. S. (2026). Modelling chemotaxis of branched cells in complex
environments provides insights into immune cell navigation. PLOS Computational
Biology. Public Library of Science. https://doi.org/10.1371/journal.pcbi.1013934
chicago: Liu, Jiayi, Jonathan E. Ron, Giulia Rinaldi, Ivanna Williantarra, Antonios
Georgantzoglou, Ingrid de Vries, Michael K Sixt, Milka Sarris, and Nir S. Gov.
“Modelling Chemotaxis of Branched Cells in Complex Environments Provides Insights
into Immune Cell Navigation.” PLOS Computational Biology. Public Library
of Science, 2026. https://doi.org/10.1371/journal.pcbi.1013934.
ieee: J. Liu et al., “Modelling chemotaxis of branched cells in complex environments
provides insights into immune cell navigation,” PLOS Computational Biology,
vol. 22, no. 2. Public Library of Science, 2026.
ista: Liu J, Ron JE, Rinaldi G, Williantarra I, Georgantzoglou A, de Vries I, Sixt
MK, Sarris M, Gov NS. 2026. Modelling chemotaxis of branched cells in complex
environments provides insights into immune cell navigation. PLOS Computational
Biology. 22(2), e1013934.
mla: Liu, Jiayi, et al. “Modelling Chemotaxis of Branched Cells in Complex Environments
Provides Insights into Immune Cell Navigation.” PLOS Computational Biology,
vol. 22, no. 2, e1013934, Public Library of Science, 2026, doi:10.1371/journal.pcbi.1013934.
short: J. Liu, J.E. Ron, G. Rinaldi, I. Williantarra, A. Georgantzoglou, I. de Vries,
M.K. Sixt, M. Sarris, N.S. Gov, PLOS Computational Biology 22 (2026).
date_created: 2026-03-02T10:08:38Z
date_published: 2026-02-03T00:00:00Z
date_updated: 2026-03-02T14:12:22Z
day: '03'
ddc:
- '570'
department:
- _id: MiSi
doi: 10.1371/journal.pcbi.1013934
external_id:
pmid:
- '41632822'
file:
- access_level: open_access
checksum: 564041089e7334804ad3cade973f80b4
content_type: application/pdf
creator: dernst
date_created: 2026-03-02T14:11:14Z
date_updated: 2026-03-02T14:11:14Z
file_id: '21388'
file_name: 2026_PloSCompBio_.pdf
file_size: 20688452
relation: main_file
success: 1
file_date_updated: 2026-03-02T14:11:14Z
fulldoi: https://doi.org/10.1371/journal.pcbi.1013934
has_accepted_license: '1'
intvolume: ' 22'
issue: '2'
language:
- iso: eng
license: https://creativecommons.org/licenses/by/4.0/
month: '02'
oa: 1
oa_version: Published Version
pmid: 1
project:
- _id: bd91e723-d553-11ed-ba76-fe7eeb2185fd
grant_number: '101071793'
name: 'Pushing from within: Control of cell shape, integrity and motility by cytoskeletal
pushing forces'
publication: PLOS Computational Biology
publication_identifier:
eissn:
- 1553-7358
publication_status: published
publisher: Public Library of Science
quality_controlled: '1'
scopus_import: '1'
status: public
title: Modelling chemotaxis of branched cells in complex environments provides insights
into immune cell navigation
tmp:
image: /images/cc_by.png
legal_code_url: https://creativecommons.org/licenses/by/4.0/legalcode
name: Creative Commons Attribution 4.0 International Public License (CC-BY 4.0)
short: CC BY (4.0)
type: journal_article
user_id: 2DF688A6-F248-11E8-B48F-1D18A9856A87
volume: 22
year: '2026'
...
---
OA_embargo: '12'
OA_place: publisher
_id: '22744'
acknowledged_ssus:
- _id: Bio
- _id: EM-Fac
- _id: ScienComp
- _id: LifeSc
acknowledgement: "This work was supported by the ERC StG grant ActinID (PRA01221F1049A)
awarded to Florian\r\nSchur, the ERC-SyG grant Pushing from within (P01071793) awarded
to Michael Sixt, and by ISTA.\r\nI would like to thank the Scientific Service Units
at ISTA for their essential support throughout\r\nthis work. In particular, I am
grateful to the Electron Microscopy Facility, Imaging and Optics\r\nFacility, Zebrafish
Facility, Scientific Computing Facility, and Lab Support Facility for their services,\r\nand
technical support, all of which were important for the successful completion of
this project."
alternative_title:
- ISTA Thesis
article_processing_charge: No
author:
- first_name: Manjunath
full_name: Javoor, Manjunath
id: 305ab18b-dc7d-11ea-9b2f-b58195228ea2
last_name: Javoor
orcid: 0000-0003-2311-2112
citation:
ama: Javoor M. Large-scale imaging of cellular actin networks at single filament
resolution using montage cryo-electron tomography. 2026. doi:10.15479/AT-ISTA-22744
apa: Javoor, M. (2026). Large-scale imaging of cellular actin networks at single
filament resolution using montage cryo-electron tomography. Institute of Science
and Technology Austria . https://doi.org/10.15479/AT-ISTA-22744
chicago: Javoor, Manjunath. “Large-Scale Imaging of Cellular Actin Networks at Single
Filament Resolution Using Montage Cryo-Electron Tomography.” Institute of Science
and Technology Austria , 2026. https://doi.org/10.15479/AT-ISTA-22744.
ieee: M. Javoor, “Large-scale imaging of cellular actin networks at single filament
resolution using montage cryo-electron tomography,” Institute of Science and Technology
Austria , 2026.
ista: Javoor M. 2026. Large-scale imaging of cellular actin networks at single filament
resolution using montage cryo-electron tomography. Institute of Science and Technology
Austria .
mla: Javoor, Manjunath. Large-Scale Imaging of Cellular Actin Networks at Single
Filament Resolution Using Montage Cryo-Electron Tomography. Institute of Science
and Technology Austria , 2026, doi:10.15479/AT-ISTA-22744.
short: M. Javoor, Large-Scale Imaging of Cellular Actin Networks at Single Filament
Resolution Using Montage Cryo-Electron Tomography, Institute of Science and Technology
Austria , 2026.
corr_author: '1'
date_created: 2026-08-21T09:11:04Z
date_published: 2026-08-21T00:00:00Z
date_updated: 2026-09-03T09:36:24Z
day: '21'
ddc:
- '570'
degree_awarded: PhD
department:
- _id: GradSch
- _id: FlSc
- _id: MiSi
doi: 10.15479/AT-ISTA-22744
doi_confirm: '1'
file:
- access_level: closed
checksum: f9c2847df9f1ac5a3d60c06b3b81a450
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creator: mjavoor
date_created: 2026-08-26T12:02:47Z
date_updated: 2026-08-27T12:48:42Z
file_id: '22767'
file_name: 2026_Javoor_Manjunath_Thesis.docx
file_size: 27430796
relation: source_file
- access_level: closed
checksum: 8e9b4c0fcafbccf5c3796eacc9134a08
content_type: application/pdf
creator: mjavoor
date_created: 2026-08-26T12:02:46Z
date_updated: 2026-08-26T12:02:46Z
embargo: 2027-08-21
embargo_to: open_access
file_id: '22768'
file_name: 2026_Javoor_Manjunath_Thesis.pdf
file_size: 19489230
relation: main_file
file_date_updated: 2026-08-27T12:48:42Z
fulldoi: https://doi.org/10.15479/AT-ISTA-22744
has_accepted_license: '1'
keyword:
- Actin cytoskeleton
- Cell migration
- cryo-electron tomography
language:
- iso: eng
license: https://creativecommons.org/licenses/by-nc-nd/4.0/
month: '08'
oa_version: None
page: '121'
project:
- _id: bd980d18-d553-11ed-ba76-ceaa645c97eb
grant_number: '101076260'
name: A molecular atlas of Actin filament IDentities in the cell motility machinery
- _id: bd91e723-d553-11ed-ba76-fe7eeb2185fd
grant_number: '101071793'
name: 'Pushing from within: Control of cell shape, integrity and motility by cytoskeletal
pushing forces'
publication_identifier:
isbn:
- '978-3-99078-090-9 '
issn:
- 2663-337X
publication_status: published
publisher: 'Institute of Science and Technology Austria '
related_material:
record:
- id: '12334'
relation: part_of_dissertation
status: public
- id: '21762'
relation: part_of_dissertation
status: public
- id: '19795'
relation: part_of_dissertation
status: public
- id: '12421'
relation: part_of_dissertation
status: public
status: public
supervisor:
- first_name: Florian KM
full_name: Schur, Florian KM
id: 48AD8942-F248-11E8-B48F-1D18A9856A87
last_name: Schur
orcid: 0000-0003-4790-8078
- first_name: Michael K
full_name: Sixt, Michael K
id: 41E9FBEA-F248-11E8-B48F-1D18A9856A87
last_name: Sixt
orcid: 0000-0002-6620-9179
title: Large-scale imaging of cellular actin networks at single filament resolution
using montage cryo-electron tomography
tmp:
image: /images/cc_by_nc_nd.png
legal_code_url: https://creativecommons.org/licenses/by-nc-nd/4.0/legalcode
name: Creative Commons Attribution-NonCommercial-NoDerivatives 4.0 International
(CC BY-NC-ND 4.0)
short: CC BY-NC-ND (4.0)
type: dissertation
user_id: 8b945eb4-e2f2-11eb-945a-df72226e66a9
year: '2026'
...
---
DOAJ_listed: '1'
OA_place: publisher
OA_type: gold
PlanS_conform: '1'
_id: '22963'
abstract:
- lang: eng
text: Although studies of tumor invasion have mainly emphasized the evolution of
genetic and epigenetic heterogeneity, cellular behaviors also depend on the physical
microenvironment. Yet, the tumor microenvironment is both complex and continuously
remodeled, making it hard to rigorously test its causal influence on tumor dissemination.
Here, we adopted a reductionist approach to studying tumor cell invasion in microengineered
environments of tunable patterned geometries. We find that not only the presence
of obstacles but more unexpectedly their spatial disorder causes a drastic shift
from a collective to a single-cell mode of invasion—comparable in strength to
loss of cell-cell adhesion. Combining live-imaging and perturbation experiments
with minimal biophysical modeling, we demonstrate that cell dissemination results
both from local geometrical constraints and a global integration of spatial disorder
over time. We identify generic universality classes of invasion dynamics dependent
on environmental geometry, enabling us to identify quantitative physical principles
for tumor dissemination.
acknowledged_ssus:
- _id: Bio
- _id: LifeSc
acknowledgement: 'We thank all the members of the Hannezo and Sixt groups for fruitful
discussions and t. Kato for advice on the experimental setup. We are also thankful
for support from the Scientific Service Units (SSU) of IST Austria through resources
provided by the imaging and Optics Facility (iOF) and the Lab Support Facility (lSF).
We used chatGPt (GPt- 5,OpenAi, 2025) to make minor grammatical and stylistic revisions
to the original manuscript, which was written by us. We carefully reviewed and verified
all changes and are solely responsible for all scientific content, data, interpretation,
and conclusions. Funding: Z.D. has received funding from the Doctoral Programme
of the Austrian Academy of Sciences (OeAW):grant agreement 26360. this work was
supported by the European Research council (grant ERC- SyG 101071793 to M.S.). E.S.
and R.P.J. are supported by the Francis Crick Institute, which receives its core
funding from cancer Research UK (cc2040), the UK Medical Research council(cc2040),
and the Wellcome trust (cc2040) and the European Research council (ERC Advanced
Grant cAn_ORGAniSe, grant agreement number 101019366).'
article_number: eaed0587
article_processing_charge: Yes
article_type: original
author:
- first_name: Zuzana
full_name: Dunajova, Zuzana
id: 4B39F286-F248-11E8-B48F-1D18A9856A87
last_name: Dunajova
- first_name: Saren
full_name: Tasciyan, Saren
id: 4323B49C-F248-11E8-B48F-1D18A9856A87
last_name: Tasciyan
orcid: 0000-0003-1671-393X
- first_name: Juraj
full_name: Majek, Juraj
id: 3e6d9473-f38e-11ec-8ae0-c4e05a8aa9e1
last_name: Majek
- first_name: Jack
full_name: Merrin, Jack
id: 4515C308-F248-11E8-B48F-1D18A9856A87
last_name: Merrin
orcid: 0000-0001-5145-4609
- first_name: Robert P.
full_name: Jenkins, Robert P.
last_name: Jenkins
- first_name: Erik
full_name: Sahai, Erik
last_name: Sahai
- first_name: Michael K
full_name: Sixt, Michael K
id: 41E9FBEA-F248-11E8-B48F-1D18A9856A87
last_name: Sixt
orcid: 0000-0002-6620-9179
- first_name: Edouard B
full_name: Hannezo, Edouard B
id: 3A9DB764-F248-11E8-B48F-1D18A9856A87
last_name: Hannezo
orcid: 0000-0001-6005-1561
citation:
ama: Dunajova Z, Tasciyan S, Majek J, et al. Substrate heterogeneity promotes cancer
cell dissemination through interface roughening. Science Advances. 2026;12(37).
doi:10.1126/sciadv.aed0587
apa: Dunajova, Z., Tasciyan, S., Majek, J., Merrin, J., Jenkins, R. P., Sahai, E.,
… Hannezo, E. B. (2026). Substrate heterogeneity promotes cancer cell dissemination
through interface roughening. Science Advances. AAAS. https://doi.org/10.1126/sciadv.aed0587
chicago: Dunajova, Zuzana, Saren Tasciyan, Juraj Majek, Jack Merrin, Robert P. Jenkins,
Erik Sahai, Michael K Sixt, and Edouard B Hannezo. “Substrate Heterogeneity Promotes
Cancer Cell Dissemination through Interface Roughening.” Science Advances.
AAAS, 2026. https://doi.org/10.1126/sciadv.aed0587.
ieee: Z. Dunajova et al., “Substrate heterogeneity promotes cancer cell dissemination
through interface roughening,” Science Advances, vol. 12, no. 37. AAAS,
2026.
ista: Dunajova Z, Tasciyan S, Majek J, Merrin J, Jenkins RP, Sahai E, Sixt MK, Hannezo
EB. 2026. Substrate heterogeneity promotes cancer cell dissemination through interface
roughening. Science Advances. 12(37), eaed0587.
mla: Dunajova, Zuzana, et al. “Substrate Heterogeneity Promotes Cancer Cell Dissemination
through Interface Roughening.” Science Advances, vol. 12, no. 37, eaed0587,
AAAS, 2026, doi:10.1126/sciadv.aed0587.
short: Z. Dunajova, S. Tasciyan, J. Majek, J. Merrin, R.P. Jenkins, E. Sahai, M.K.
Sixt, E.B. Hannezo, Science Advances 12 (2026).
corr_author: '1'
das_tickbox: '1'
dataavailabilitystatement: ' All data and code needed to evaluate and reproduce the
results in the paper are present in the paper and/or the Supplementary Materials
and the associated data and code repositories. Source data underlying all figures
and supplementary figures have been deposited in a Zenodo repository (DOi: 10.5281/zenodo.21718217)
and will be made publicly available upon publication. custom simulation and analysis
codes used in this study are available at https://codeocean.com/capsule/1237446/tree.
no unique biological materials were generated in this study. Microfluidic mask designs
generated for this work are available from the corresponding authors upon reasonable
request.'
date_created: 2026-09-20T22:01:48Z
date_published: 2026-09-09T00:00:00Z
date_updated: 2026-10-06T11:36:34Z
day: '09'
ddc:
- '570'
department:
- _id: EdHa
- _id: MiSi
- _id: GradSch
- _id: AnSa
- _id: NanoFab
doi: 10.1126/sciadv.aed0587
external_id:
pmid:
- '42715298'
file:
- access_level: open_access
checksum: 79f419b659650a39b3dfa58c782690a8
content_type: application/pdf
creator: dernst
date_created: 2026-10-06T11:30:48Z
date_updated: 2026-10-06T11:30:48Z
file_id: '23062'
file_name: 2026_ScienceAdv_Dunajova.pdf
file_size: 11691064
relation: main_file
success: 1
file_date_updated: 2026-10-06T11:30:48Z
fulldoi: https://doi.org/10.1126/sciadv.aed0587
has_accepted_license: '1'
intvolume: ' 12'
issue: '37'
language:
- iso: eng
month: '09'
oa: 1
oa_version: Published Version
pmid: 1
project:
- _id: 34d75525-11ca-11ed-8bc3-89b6307fee9d
grant_number: '26360'
name: Motile active matter models of migrating cells and chiral filaments
- _id: bd91e723-d553-11ed-ba76-fe7eeb2185fd
grant_number: '101071793'
name: 'Pushing from within: Control of cell shape, integrity and motility by cytoskeletal
pushing forces'
publication: Science Advances
publication_identifier:
eissn:
- 2375-2548
publication_status: published
publisher: AAAS
quality_controlled: '1'
related_material:
record:
- id: '21427'
relation: earlier_version
status: public
researchdata_availability: yes
scopus_import: '1'
status: public
supplementarymaterial: no
title: Substrate heterogeneity promotes cancer cell dissemination through interface
roughening
tmp:
image: /images/cc_by.png
legal_code_url: https://creativecommons.org/licenses/by/4.0/legalcode
name: Creative Commons Attribution 4.0 International Public License (CC-BY 4.0)
short: CC BY (4.0)
type: journal_article
user_id: 2DF688A6-F248-11E8-B48F-1D18A9856A87
volume: 12
year: '2026'
...
---
OA_place: publisher
OA_type: hybrid
PlanS_conform: '1'
_id: '20082'
abstract:
- lang: eng
text: Efficient immune responses rely on the capacity of leukocytes to traverse
diverse and complex tissues. To meet such changing environmental conditions, leukocytes
usually adopt an ameboid configuration, using their forward-positioned nucleus
as a probe to identify and follow the path of least resistance among pre-existing
pores. We show that, in dense environments where even the largest pores preclude
free passage, leukocytes position their nucleus behind the centrosome and organelles.
The local compression imposed on the cell body by its surroundings triggers assembly
of a central F-actin pool, located between cell front and nucleus. Central actin
pushes outward to transiently dilate a path for organelles and nucleus. Pools
of central and front actin are tightly coupled and experimental depletion of the
central pool enhances actin accumulation and protrusion formation at the cell
front. Although this shifted balance speeds up cells in permissive environments,
migration in restrictive environments is impaired, as the unleashed leading edge
dissociates from the trapped cell body. Our findings establish an actin regulatory
loop that balances path dilation with advancement of the leading edge to maintain
cellular coherence.
acknowledged_ssus:
- _id: Bio
- _id: LifeSc
acknowledgement: This research was supported by the Scientific Service Units of ISTA
through resources provided by the Imaging and Optics, Preclinical and Lab Support
Facilities. In particular, we thank M. A. Symth and F. G. G. Leite, from the Virus
Service Team, who helped generating the lentiviral particles used in this study.
We thank all the members of the Sixt group for valuable discussions and feedback,
in particular, I. Mayer, for helping with T cell isolation and Z. (P.) Li for providing
the Actin–GFP DC line. We are also thankful to J. Mandl and C. Shen for their feedback
during the writing of this manuscript. This work was supported by a European Research
Council grant ERC-SyG 101071793 to M.S. M.J.A. was supported by an HFSP Postdoctoral
Fellowship LTF 177 2021 and A.J.G. by a Lise Meitner Fellowship of the FWF (Austrian
Science Fund). Y.F. was supported by the AMED-CREST (JP19gm1310005), the Medical
Research Center Initiative for High Depth Omics and CURE:JPMXP1323015486 for MIB,
Kyushu University. Open access funding provided by Institute of Science and Technology
(IST Austria).
article_processing_charge: Yes (via OA deal)
article_type: letter_note
author:
- first_name: Patricia
full_name: Dos Reis Rodrigues, Patricia
id: 26E95904-5160-11E9-9C0B-C5B0DC97E90F
last_name: Dos Reis Rodrigues
orcid: 0000-0003-1681-508X
- first_name: Mario
full_name: Avellaneda Sarrió, Mario
id: DC4BA84C-56E6-11EA-AD5D-348C3DDC885E
last_name: Avellaneda Sarrió
orcid: 0000-0001-6406-524X
- first_name: Nikola
full_name: Canigova, Nikola
id: 3795523E-F248-11E8-B48F-1D18A9856A87
last_name: Canigova
orcid: 0000-0002-8518-5926
- first_name: Florian R
full_name: Gärtner, Florian R
id: 397A88EE-F248-11E8-B48F-1D18A9856A87
last_name: Gärtner
orcid: 0000-0001-6120-3723
- first_name: Kari
full_name: Vaahtomeri, Kari
id: 368EE576-F248-11E8-B48F-1D18A9856A87
last_name: Vaahtomeri
orcid: 0000-0001-7829-3518
- first_name: Michael
full_name: Riedl, Michael
id: 3BE60946-F248-11E8-B48F-1D18A9856A87
last_name: Riedl
orcid: 0000-0003-4844-6311
- first_name: Ingrid
full_name: De Vries, Ingrid
id: 4C7D837E-F248-11E8-B48F-1D18A9856A87
last_name: De Vries
- first_name: Jack
full_name: Merrin, Jack
id: 4515C308-F248-11E8-B48F-1D18A9856A87
last_name: Merrin
orcid: 0000-0001-5145-4609
- first_name: Robert
full_name: Hauschild, Robert
id: 4E01D6B4-F248-11E8-B48F-1D18A9856A87
last_name: Hauschild
orcid: 0000-0001-9843-3522
- first_name: Yoshinori
full_name: Fukui, Yoshinori
last_name: Fukui
- first_name: Alba
full_name: Juanes Garcia, Alba
id: 40F05888-F248-11E8-B48F-1D18A9856A87
last_name: Juanes Garcia
orcid: 0000-0002-1009-9652
- first_name: Michael K
full_name: Sixt, Michael K
id: 41E9FBEA-F248-11E8-B48F-1D18A9856A87
last_name: Sixt
orcid: 0000-0002-6620-9179
citation:
ama: Dos Reis Rodrigues P, Avellaneda Sarrió M, Canigova N, et al. Migrating immune
cells globally coordinate protrusive forces. Nature Immunology. 2025;26:1258–1266.
doi:10.1038/s41590-025-02211-w
apa: Dos Reis Rodrigues, P., Avellaneda Sarrió, M., Canigova, N., Gärtner, F. R.,
Vaahtomeri, K., Riedl, M., … Sixt, M. K. (2025). Migrating immune cells globally
coordinate protrusive forces. Nature Immunology. Springer Nature. https://doi.org/10.1038/s41590-025-02211-w
chicago: Dos Reis Rodrigues, Patricia, Mario Avellaneda Sarrió, Nikola Canigova,
Florian R Gärtner, Kari Vaahtomeri, Michael Riedl, Ingrid de Vries, et al. “Migrating
Immune Cells Globally Coordinate Protrusive Forces.” Nature Immunology.
Springer Nature, 2025. https://doi.org/10.1038/s41590-025-02211-w.
ieee: P. Dos Reis Rodrigues et al., “Migrating immune cells globally coordinate
protrusive forces,” Nature Immunology, vol. 26. Springer Nature, pp. 1258–1266,
2025.
ista: Dos Reis Rodrigues P, Avellaneda Sarrió M, Canigova N, Gärtner FR, Vaahtomeri
K, Riedl M, de Vries I, Merrin J, Hauschild R, Fukui Y, Juanes Garcia A, Sixt
MK. 2025. Migrating immune cells globally coordinate protrusive forces. Nature
Immunology. 26, 1258–1266.
mla: Dos Reis Rodrigues, Patricia, et al. “Migrating Immune Cells Globally Coordinate
Protrusive Forces.” Nature Immunology, vol. 26, Springer Nature, 2025,
pp. 1258–1266, doi:10.1038/s41590-025-02211-w.
short: P. Dos Reis Rodrigues, M. Avellaneda Sarrió, N. Canigova, F.R. Gärtner, K.
Vaahtomeri, M. Riedl, I. de Vries, J. Merrin, R. Hauschild, Y. Fukui, A. Juanes
Garcia, M.K. Sixt, Nature Immunology 26 (2025) 1258–1266.
corr_author: '1'
date_created: 2025-07-27T22:01:26Z
date_published: 2025-08-01T00:00:00Z
date_updated: 2026-04-28T13:26:50Z
day: '01'
ddc:
- '570'
department:
- _id: MiSi
- _id: NanoFab
- _id: Bio
doi: 10.1038/s41590-025-02211-w
external_id:
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language:
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month: '08'
oa: 1
oa_version: Published Version
page: 1258–1266
pmid: 1
project:
- _id: bd91e723-d553-11ed-ba76-fe7eeb2185fd
grant_number: '101071793'
name: 'Pushing from within: Control of cell shape, integrity and motility by cytoskeletal
pushing forces'
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grant_number: 944-2020
name: 'Bioelectric patrolling: the role of the local membrane potential in immune
cell migration'
publication: Nature Immunology
publication_identifier:
eissn:
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issn:
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publication_status: published
publisher: Springer Nature
quality_controlled: '1'
related_material:
link:
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relation: press_release
url: https://ista.ac.at/en/news/bench-pressing-cells/
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relation: dissertation_contains
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scopus_import: '1'
status: public
title: Migrating immune cells globally coordinate protrusive forces
tmp:
image: /images/cc_by.png
legal_code_url: https://creativecommons.org/licenses/by/4.0/legalcode
name: Creative Commons Attribution 4.0 International Public License (CC-BY 4.0)
short: CC BY (4.0)
type: journal_article
user_id: ba8df636-2132-11f1-aed0-ed93e2281fdd
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year: '2025'
...
---
OA_place: publisher
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abstract:
- lang: eng
text: "Immune responses depend on the coordinated and efficient migration of leukocytes.
These\r\ncells, which are embedded and tightly confined within tissues, must navigate
and traverse\r\ndiverse and complex three-dimensional environments. Leukocytes
adapt their locomotory\r\nbehavior to the mechanical, geometrical, and biochemical
characteristics of their\r\nsurroundings. In low-density environments, where the
pore size of the interstitial matrix\r\nallows free passage, these cells position
the nucleus directly behind the lamellipodium, the\r\nprotrusive actin structure
that forms the leading front of the cell. In this configuration, they\r\nuse the
nucleus as a gauge to identify the path of least resistance.\r\nHere, we show
that in high-density environments, where the pore size precludes free passage\r\nof
the cell body, leukocytes reposition the microtubule-organizing center (MTOC)
and\r\nassociated organelles in front of the nucleus. In this configuration, they
use actin structures\r\nprotruding orthogonally to the direction of migration
in order to open a path for the cell body.\r\nWe identify two distinct actin populations
that serve this purpose at different subcellular\r\nlocalizations. At the leading
edge, local indentation of the plasma membrane leads to\r\nrecruitment of the
Wiskott-Aldrich syndrome protein (WASp), which, via Arp2/3, results in\r\nthe
formation of individual actin foci. At the cell body, actin polymerization is
triggered by\r\nDOCK8, a Cdc42 exchange factor, resulting in the formation of
a central actin pool.\r\nWe demonstrate that the central and peripheral actin
pools are functionally communicating\r\nand that depletion of the central actin
pool leads to increased actin accumulation at the cell\r\nfront, resulting in
excessive extension of the leading edge."
acknowledged_ssus:
- _id: Bio
- _id: LifeSc
- _id: M-Shop
- _id: NanoFab
acknowledgement: "I would like to acknowledge the\r\nfinancial support of the European
Research Council through the ERC-SyG grant “Pushing from\r\nwithin: Control of cell
shape, integrity and motility by cytoskeletal pushing forces”\r\n(01071793), which
made this research possible. "
alternative_title:
- ISTA Thesis
article_processing_charge: No
author:
- first_name: Patricia
full_name: Dos Reis Rodrigues, Patricia
id: 26E95904-5160-11E9-9C0B-C5B0DC97E90F
last_name: Dos Reis Rodrigues
orcid: 0000-0003-1681-508X
citation:
ama: Dos Reis Rodrigues P. Coordination of protrusive forces in immune cell migration
. 2025. doi:10.15479/AT-ISTA-20149
apa: Dos Reis Rodrigues, P. (2025). Coordination of protrusive forces in immune
cell migration . Institute of Science and Technology Austria. https://doi.org/10.15479/AT-ISTA-20149
chicago: Dos Reis Rodrigues, Patricia. “Coordination of Protrusive Forces in Immune
Cell Migration .” Institute of Science and Technology Austria, 2025. https://doi.org/10.15479/AT-ISTA-20149.
ieee: P. Dos Reis Rodrigues, “Coordination of protrusive forces in immune cell migration
,” Institute of Science and Technology Austria, 2025.
ista: Dos Reis Rodrigues P. 2025. Coordination of protrusive forces in immune cell
migration . Institute of Science and Technology Austria.
mla: Dos Reis Rodrigues, Patricia. Coordination of Protrusive Forces in Immune
Cell Migration . Institute of Science and Technology Austria, 2025, doi:10.15479/AT-ISTA-20149.
short: P. Dos Reis Rodrigues, Coordination of Protrusive Forces in Immune Cell Migration
, Institute of Science and Technology Austria, 2025.
corr_author: '1'
date_created: 2025-08-08T09:18:02Z
date_published: 2025-08-08T00:00:00Z
date_updated: 2026-04-28T13:26:50Z
day: '08'
ddc:
- '570'
degree_awarded: PhD
department:
- _id: GradSch
- _id: MiSi
doi: 10.15479/AT-ISTA-20149
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date_created: 2025-08-27T13:00:30Z
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fulldoi: https://doi.org/10.15479/AT-ISTA-20149
has_accepted_license: '1'
language:
- iso: eng
month: '08'
oa: 1
oa_version: Published Version
page: '114'
project:
- _id: bd91e723-d553-11ed-ba76-fe7eeb2185fd
grant_number: '101071793'
name: 'Pushing from within: Control of cell shape, integrity and motility by cytoskeletal
pushing forces'
publication_identifier:
issn:
- 2663-337X
publication_status: published
publisher: Institute of Science and Technology Austria
related_material:
record:
- id: '10703'
relation: part_of_dissertation
status: public
- id: '20082'
relation: part_of_dissertation
status: public
status: public
supervisor:
- first_name: Michael K
full_name: Sixt, Michael K
id: 41E9FBEA-F248-11E8-B48F-1D18A9856A87
last_name: Sixt
orcid: 0000-0002-6620-9179
title: 'Coordination of protrusive forces in immune cell migration '
tmp:
image: /images/cc_by_nc_nd.png
legal_code_url: https://creativecommons.org/licenses/by-nc-nd/4.0/legalcode
name: Creative Commons Attribution-NonCommercial-NoDerivatives 4.0 International
(CC BY-NC-ND 4.0)
short: CC BY-NC-ND (4.0)
type: dissertation
user_id: ba8df636-2132-11f1-aed0-ed93e2281fdd
year: '2025'
...
---
OA_place: repository
_id: '21427'
abstract:
- lang: eng
text: While tumor malignancy has been extensively studied under the prism of genetic
and epigenetic heterogeneity, tumor cell states also critically depend on reciprocal
interactions with the microenvironment. This raises the hitherto untested possibility
that heterogeneity of the untransformed tumor stroma can actively fuel malignant
progression. As biological heterogeneity is inherently difficult to control, we
adopted a reductionist approach and let tumor cells invade micro-engineered environments
harboring obstacles with precision-controlled geometry. We find that not only
the presence of obstacles, but more surprisingly their spatial disorder, causes
a drastic shift from a collective to a single-cell mode of invasion – comparable
in strength to cadherin loss. Combining live-imaging and perturbation experiments
with minimal biophysical modeling, we demonstrate that cell detachments result
both from local geometrical constraints and a global integration of spatial disorder
over time. We show that different types of microenvironments map onto different
universality classes of invasion dynamics - homogeneous substrates follow Kardar–Parisi–Zhang
(KPZ) scaling, while disordered ones exhibit exponents consistent with KPZ with
quenched disorder (KPZq). Our findings highlight generic physical principles for
how the mode of cancer cell invasion depends on environmental heterogeneity, with
potential implications to understand tumor evolution in vivo.
acknowledgement: "European Research Council, https://ror.org/0472cxd90, 101071793\r\nAustrian
Academy of Sciences, 26360"
article_processing_charge: No
author:
- first_name: Zuzana
full_name: Dunajova, Zuzana
id: 4B39F286-F248-11E8-B48F-1D18A9856A87
last_name: Dunajova
- first_name: Saren
full_name: Tasciyan, Saren
id: 4323B49C-F248-11E8-B48F-1D18A9856A87
last_name: Tasciyan
orcid: 0000-0003-1671-393X
- first_name: Juraj
full_name: Majek, Juraj
id: 3e6d9473-f38e-11ec-8ae0-c4e05a8aa9e1
last_name: Majek
- first_name: Jack
full_name: Merrin, Jack
id: 4515C308-F248-11E8-B48F-1D18A9856A87
last_name: Merrin
orcid: 0000-0001-5145-4609
- first_name: Erik
full_name: Sahai, Erik
last_name: Sahai
- first_name: Michael K
full_name: Sixt, Michael K
id: 41E9FBEA-F248-11E8-B48F-1D18A9856A87
last_name: Sixt
orcid: 0000-0002-6620-9179
- first_name: Edouard B
full_name: Hannezo, Edouard B
id: 3A9DB764-F248-11E8-B48F-1D18A9856A87
last_name: Hannezo
orcid: 0000-0001-6005-1561
citation:
ama: Dunajova Z, Tasciyan S, Majek J, et al. Substrate heterogeneity promotes cancer
cell dissemination through interface roughening. bioRxiv. doi:10.1101/2025.05.20.655037
apa: Dunajova, Z., Tasciyan, S., Majek, J., Merrin, J., Sahai, E., Sixt, M. K.,
& Hannezo, E. B. (n.d.). Substrate heterogeneity promotes cancer cell dissemination
through interface roughening. bioRxiv. https://doi.org/10.1101/2025.05.20.655037
chicago: Dunajova, Zuzana, Saren Tasciyan, Juraj Majek, Jack Merrin, Erik Sahai,
Michael K Sixt, and Edouard B Hannezo. “Substrate Heterogeneity Promotes Cancer
Cell Dissemination through Interface Roughening.” BioRxiv, n.d. https://doi.org/10.1101/2025.05.20.655037.
ieee: Z. Dunajova et al., “Substrate heterogeneity promotes cancer cell dissemination
through interface roughening,” bioRxiv. .
ista: Dunajova Z, Tasciyan S, Majek J, Merrin J, Sahai E, Sixt MK, Hannezo EB. Substrate
heterogeneity promotes cancer cell dissemination through interface roughening.
bioRxiv, 10.1101/2025.05.20.655037.
mla: Dunajova, Zuzana, et al. “Substrate Heterogeneity Promotes Cancer Cell Dissemination
through Interface Roughening.” BioRxiv, doi:10.1101/2025.05.20.655037.
short: Z. Dunajova, S. Tasciyan, J. Majek, J. Merrin, E. Sahai, M.K. Sixt, E.B.
Hannezo, BioRxiv (n.d.).
corr_author: '1'
das_tickbox: '1'
date_created: 2026-03-11T08:40:06Z
date_published: 2025-09-25T00:00:00Z
date_updated: 2026-10-12T22:30:17Z
day: '25'
ddc:
- '539'
- '570'
department:
- _id: GradSch
- _id: EdHa
- _id: MiSi
- _id: NanoFab
- _id: AnSa
doi: 10.1101/2025.05.20.655037
fulldoi: https://doi.org/10.1101/2025.05.20.655037
has_accepted_license: '1'
language:
- iso: eng
main_file_link:
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url: https://doi.org/10.1101/2025.05.20.655037
month: '09'
oa: 1
oa_version: Preprint
project:
- _id: bd91e723-d553-11ed-ba76-fe7eeb2185fd
grant_number: '101071793'
name: 'Pushing from within: Control of cell shape, integrity and motility by cytoskeletal
pushing forces'
- _id: 34d75525-11ca-11ed-8bc3-89b6307fee9d
grant_number: '26360'
name: Motile active matter models of migrating cells and chiral filaments
publication: bioRxiv
publication_status: draft
related_material:
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- id: '22963'
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status: public
- id: '21423'
relation: dissertation_contains
status: public
status: public
title: Substrate heterogeneity promotes cancer cell dissemination through interface
roughening
tmp:
image: /images/cc_by_nc_nd.png
legal_code_url: https://creativecommons.org/licenses/by-nc-nd/4.0/legalcode
name: Creative Commons Attribution-NonCommercial-NoDerivatives 4.0 International
(CC BY-NC-ND 4.0)
short: CC BY-NC-ND (4.0)
type: preprint
user_id: 2DF688A6-F248-11E8-B48F-1D18A9856A87
year: '2025'
...