Molecular Basis for Actin Polymerization Kinetics Modulated by Solution Crowding.

ABSTRACT: Actin polymerization drives cell movement and provides cells with structural integrity. Intracellular environments contain high concentrations of solutes, including organic compounds, macromolecules, and proteins. Macromolecular crowding has been shown to affect actin filament stability and bulk polymerization kinetics. However, the molecular mechanisms behind how crowding influences individual actin filament assembly are not well understood. In this study, we investigated how crowding modulates filament assembly kinetics using total internal reflection fluorescence (TIRF) microscopy imaging and pyrene fluorescence assays. The elongation rates of individual actin filaments analyzed from TIRF imaging depended on the type of crowding agent (polyethylene glycol, bovine serum albumin, and sucr

SUBMITTER: Demosthene B 

PROVIDER: S-EPMC10216264 | biostudies-literature | 2023 May

REPOSITORIES: biostudies-literature