Basement membrane remodeling guides cell migration and cell morphogenesis during development

Basement membranes (BMs) are thin, dense forms of extracellular matrix that underlie or surround most animal tissues. BMs are enormously complex and harbor numerous proteins that provide essential signaling, mechanical, and barrier support for tissues during their development and normal functioning. As BMs are found throughout animal tissues, cells frequently migrate, change shape, and extend processes along BMs. Although sometimes used only as passive surfaces by cells, studies in developmental contexts are finding that BMs are often actively modified to help guide cell motility and cell morphogenesis. Here, I provide an overview of recent work revealing how BMs are remodeled in remarkably diverse ways to direct cell migration, cell orientation, axon guidance, and dendrite branching events during animal development.