Cell Motility

Metazoans rely on cellular movement for important biological processes such as development, immune system activation, and wound healing. Cellular movement involves a wide variety of membrane projections. Some cellular projections, such as lamellipodia, are common to many cell types, whereas others, such as growth cones, are specific to certain cell types. Stimuli such as growth factor release induce specific cells to migrate, requiring actin cytoskeleton mobilization. The actin cytoskeleton, regulated by the Rho small GTPase family, initially forms cellular projections to mediate either the forward movement of a cell or the development of mature cellular processes (e.g., axons).Cells use adhesion proteins to maintain forward progress, from the rolling migration of a leukocyte along the blood vessel endothelium to the mesenchymal movement of a fibroblast along the extracellular matrix. Proteolytic enzymes remodel the extracellular matrix as necessary for cellular movement. Dysregulation of cellular motility or migration can cause diseases such as developmental abnormalities or immunodeficiencies.

QIAGEN provides a broad range of assay technologies for cell motility research that enables analysis of gene expression and regulation, epigenetic modification, genotyping, and signal transduction pathway activation. Solutions optimized for cell motility studies include PCR array, miRNA, siRNA, mutation analysis, pathway reporter, chromatin IP, DNA methylation, and protein expression products.