Cortical waves mediate the cellular response to electric fields

The molecular mechanisms by which electric fields direct cell migration remain largely unknown, because the cortical waves of signal transduction and cytoskeletal activity that drive cell protrusions are comparable in size to the cells themselves. To address this problem, here, we employ electro-fused giant cells, which are considerably larger than these waves, and nanotopography, which decreases the lifetime of waves on the basal surface. We find that electric fields increase the wave area and lifetime in the region of the cell nearer the cathode, and bias the wave direction. We also notice that shorter-lived waves on nanotopography lead to a faster cell response to electrical-field reversal. Our findings indicate that the directions and durations of waves have a dominant effect on cellular response to electric fields. One Sentence Summary Electrotaxis is mediated by biased cortical waves, explaining why electrotaxis response is significantly slower than chemotaxis. ### Competing Interest Statement The authors have declared no competing interest.