Cell polarity, motility, and shape

Eukaryotic cells are often highly polarized, with very different concentrations of proteins on different sides of the cell: this gives the cell directionality in migration or asymmetric division. I will discuss the group's recent work on how reactions of polarity proteins at the cell's surface can become sensitive to the cell's shape. This shape sensing can lead to surprising new behaviors, like single cells developing a spontaneous circular motion, but can be disrupted by membrane roughness. I will discuss the implications of this idea both for how cells respond to electrical cues and how cells in different environments polarize.