Actin and tubulin are the major components of the cytoskeleton that pervades the cytoplasm of all eukaryotic cells. These proteins were traditionally thought not to be present in prokaryotes, but structural and functional homologues of tubulin (FtsZ) and actin (MreB) are now known to be present virtually throughout the eubacteria and in some archae. FtsZ protein is a key player in cell division...

Abstract Extracellular matrix protein-1 (ECM1) promotes tumorigenesis in multiple organs but the mechanisms associated to ECM1 isoform subtypes have yet be clarified. We report this study that secretory ECM1a induces through GPR motif binding integrin ?X?2 and activation of AKT/FAK/Rho/cytoskeleton signaling. The ATP cassette subfamily G member 1 (ABCG1) transduces ECM1a-integrin interactive si...

We constructed a model cytoskeleton to investigate the proposal that this interconnected filamentous structure can act as a mechano- and signal transducer. The model cytoskeleton is composed of rigid rods representing actin filaments, which are connected with springs representing cross-linker molecules. The entire mesh is placed in viscous cytoplasm. The model eukaryotic cell is submitted to ei...

In class, we have assumed that the concentration, the number of free monomers in the volume, does not change in time, C = n/V = const. Assume now, that no new monomer is added to the solution as the filament grows and therefore C = C(t). • Sketch the evolution of the free monomer concentration C as a function of time t. • Determine the tangent to the curve at t → 0. • Determine the asymptotic v...

The microtubule (MT) cytoskeleton gives cells their shape, organizes the cellular interior, and segregates chromosomes. These functions rely on the precise arrangement of MTs, which is achieved by the coordinated action ofMT-associated proteins (MAPs). We highlight the first andmost important examples of how different MAP activities are combined in vitro to create an ensemble function that exce...

This article discusses the role of electron microscopy in diagnosis and study morphological changes that cause platelet structural abnormalities a variety congenital diseases. Morphological can be divided into cytoskeleton, alpha dense granules, membrane abnormalities. Our paper describes ultrastructural defects Wiskott–Aldrich syndrome, MYH9-associated syndromes, gray Hermansky–Pudlak Paris–Tr...

Cells can crawl, self-heal, and tune their stiffness due to remarkably dynamic cytoskeleton. As such, reconstituting networks of cytoskeletal biopolymers may lead a host active adaptable materials. However, engineering such materials with precisely tuned properties requires measuring how the dynamics depend on network composition synthesis methods. Quantifying is challenged by variations across...

Actin cytoskeleton regulates many essential biological functions, including cellular development, shape, polarity, and motility. The organization of actin cytoskeleton has also been associated with numerous physiological and pathological conditions, for instance, the elongation of axonal growth cone during peripheral nerve regeneration. However, the spatio-temporal expression patterns of actin ...

In plants movement of the endoplasmic reticulum (ER) is dependent on the actin cytoskeleton. However little is known about proteins that link the ER membrane and the actin cytoskeleton. Here we identified a novel protein, NETWORKED 3B (NET3B), which is associated with the ER and actin cytoskeleton in vivo. NET3B belongs to a superfamily of plant specific actin binding proteins, the NETWORKED fa...

Recent years have seen cytoskeleton dynamics emerging as a key player in axon regeneration. The cytoskeleton, in particular microtubules and actin, ensures the growth of neuronal processes and maintains the singular, highly polarized shape of neurons. Following injury, adult central axons are tipped by a dystrophic structure, the retraction bulb, which prevents their regeneration. Abnormal cyto...