Many cell phenomena that involve shape changes are affected by the intrinsic deformability of the plasma membrane. Far from being a passive participant, the plasma membrane is now known to physically, as well as biochemically, influence cell processes ranging from vesicle trafficking to actin assembly. Here we review current understanding of how changes in plasma membrane tension regulate cell shape and movement as well as how cells sense plasma membrane tension.

Analysis of cell migration in vivo combined with biophysical measurements reveals how membrane-to-cortex attachment fine-tunes the type of protrusions formed by cells and, as a consequence, controls directed migration during zebrafish gastrulation.

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