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Fig. 1. Cyclic changes in traction stress, cell speed and shape that accompany a single calcium transient. (A) Plots of the absolute change in 90th percentile traction stress (red), cell speed (green) and shape factor (orange) and [Ca²⁺]_i as shown by calcium green-1 dextran fluorescence (CG-1: blue). (B-E) Contour maps of traction stress magnitude at corresponding time points marked in A. Shape factor decreases slightly, indicating cell elongation, 38 seconds before the calcium transient. Traction stress begins to increase 15 seconds before the transient (B) and continues to increase, reaching a maximum 70 seconds after the onset of the transient (D). Note the region of increased traction stress that enlarges along the cell margin in B-D. During this time period cell movement is completely inhibited. Retraction starts 60 seconds (arrow) after the calcium transient starts, as shown by the increase in cell speed and the precipitous drop in traction stress (D-E), together with an increase in shape factor, or cell roundness, that occurs 10 seconds later. When retraction is complete (arrowhead) cell speed returns close to the pre-transient value and cell shape begins to elongate, marking the end of one cycle of mechano-chemical feedback.

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