Reconstitution of the transition from lamellipodium to filopodium in a membrane-free system.

ABSTRACT: The cellular cytoskeleton is a complex dynamical network that constantly remodels as cells divide and move. This reorganization process occurs not only at the cell membrane, but also in the cell interior (bulk). During locomotion, regulated actin assembly near the plasma membrane produces lamellipodia and filopodia. Therefore, most in vitro experiments explore phenomena taking place in the vicinity of a surface. To understand how the molecular machinery of a cell self-organizes in a more general way, we studied bulk polymerization of actin in the presence of actin-related protein 2/3 complex and a nucleation promoting factor as a model for actin assembly in the cell interior separate from membranes. Bulk polymerization of actin in the presence of the verprolin homology, cofilin homology, a

SUBMITTER: Haviv L 

PROVIDER: S-EPMC1458768 | biostudies-literature | 2006 Mar

REPOSITORIES: biostudies-literature