The physics of lamellipodial protrusion

Abstract

Many cell movements appear to be driven by the polymerization of actin. Here we show how the force of polymerization can be generated by the thermal motions of the actin filaments near the sites of polymerization. We apply the model to explain the observations that the lamellipodial cytoskeleton is organized into an orthogonal network interspersed with filopodial protrusions, and that the protrusion of lamellipodia generally proceeds in the presence of a rearward cytoskeletal flow.