Overview Topics

Cell Motion

This page summarizes the parameters associated with motion and chemotaxis of cells. Where information was not available as yet about the cells of the CNS, we have summarized the current state of knowledge about cells in other systems.

Typical cell speeds and Persistence Times

The persistence time, P of a cell is the average length of time between turns.

Cell Type	Typical speed, s microns/min	Persistence Time, P	Notes	Ref
neutrophils	10 microns/min			Moghe et al (1995)
PMN leukocytes	3-30 microns/min		Fast moving cells	Rivero et al (1989), Zigmond(1993)
Fibroblasts	0.08-1 micron/min		Slow moving cells	Zigmond(1993)
Macrophages	2 microns/min	22-32 min	Intermediate motion	Farrell(1990)
Microglia	1-2 microns/min		Estimate	Not available
Astrocytes	0.1-0.2 microns/min		Estimate	Kornyei(2000)

[1] Moghe P V, Nelson R D, Tranquillo R T (1995) Cytokine-stimulated chemotaxis of human neutrophils in a 3-D conjoined fibrin assay, J Immunol Meth 180: 193-211.Abstract

[2] Rivero M A, Tranquillo R T, Buettner H M, Lauffenburger D A (1989) Transport models for chemotactic cell populations based on individual cell behaviour, Chem Eng Sci 44(12) 2881-2897.Abstract

[3] Zigmond S H (1993) Recent quantitative studies of actin filament turnover during cell locomotion, Cell Motil Cytoskel 25: 309-316.Abstract

[4] Kornyei Z, Czirok A., Vicsek T, Madarasz E. Proliferative and migratory responses of astrocytes to in vitro injury Journal of Neuroscience Research 61(4): 421-429, 2000 Jul. Abstract

[5] Farrell BE, Daniele RP, Lauffenburger DA (1990) Quantitative relationships between single-cell and cell-population model parameters for chemosensory migration responses of alveolar macrophages to C5a. Cell Motility and the Cytoskeleton 16: 279-293. Abstract

Typical chemotaxis parameters

Cell Type;

Attractant

Random
Motility

microns²/sec

Chemotactic
Sensitivity
chi₀

rcpt/cm

Chemotaxis
coefficient
chi

microns²/s-nM

Ref

Macrophages;

Complement C5a

0.8-1.9 x 10^-8 cm²/s

10^-6cm/recp

10^-2- 10³ cm²/s-M

Farrell et al (1990)

The above values were obtained from Farrell et al (1990).

Remarks

The aggregate values in this table have the following meanings: The Random Motility at the cell population level is related to a density gradient of cells as follows:

J = Flux of cells = [Random motility] [dc/dx]
Random motility is related to single-cell parameters as follows:
[Random motility] = (1/2) P s²
where s is cell speed and P is persistence time.

Chemotactic Sensitivity, chi₀, is the reciprocal of the difference across the cell dimensions of the number of bound receptors needed to orient the cell in a gradient of attractant. This number has units of receptors per unit length.

The Chemotaxis coefficient, chi is related to cell velocity and attractant (a) gradient as follows:

Cell Velocity = [chi] da/dx

Comments about chemotaxis

Cell Type

Attractant

comments

Ref

Monocytes

Amyloid-beta

10-25 % cells migrate

towards A-Beta

Fiala et al (1998)

Microglia

Amyloid-beta

Max response at 10nM A-beta,

(taxis)/(kinesis) = 2

Davis et al(1992)

[1] Fiala M, Zhang L, Gan X, Sherry B, Taub D, Graves MC, Hama, S, Way D, Weinand M, Witte M, Lorton D, Kuo Y_M, Roher AE (1998) Amyloid-beta induces chemokine secretion and monocyte migration across human blood-brain barrier model, Molec Med 4: 480-489.Abstract

[2] Davis JB, McMurray H F, Schubert D (1992), The amyloid beta protein of Alzheimer's disease is chemotactic for mononuclear phagocytes, Biochem Biophys Res Comm 189(2): 1096-1100.Abstract

Typical cell densities

Cell Type

Density seen

comments

Ref

Microglia (reactive)

100-350 x cells/ 10 ⁴ micron²

0-30 amyloid deposits / 10 ⁴ micron²

Itagaki et al (1989)

[1] Itagaki S, McGeer P L, Akiyama H, Zhu S, Selkoe D (1989) Relationship of microglia and astrocytes to amyloid deposits of Alzheimer's disease, J Neuroimmunol 24: 173-182.Abstract

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