Actin kinetics shapes cortical network structure and mechanics
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e1501337.full.pdf
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1.11 MB
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Author(s)
Fritzsche, M.
Erlenka mper, C.
Charras, G.
Kruse, K.
Moeendarbary, Emadaldin
Date Issued
April 2016
Journal
Science Advances
Publisher
American Association for the Advancement of Science (AAAS)
Citation
Fritzsche, M. et al. "Actin kinetics shapes cortical network structure and mechanics." Science Advances 2, 4 (April 2016): e1501337 © 2017 The Authors, some rights reserved; exclusive licensee American Association for the Advancement of Science
Version
Final published version
Abstract
The actin cortex of animal cells is the main determinant of cellular mechanics. The continuous turnover of cortical actin filaments enables cells to quickly respond to stimuli. Recent work has shown that most of the cortical actin is generated by only two actin nucleators, the Arp2/3 complex and the formin Diaph1. However, our understanding of their interplay, their kinetics, and the length distribution of the filaments that they nucleate within living cells is poor. Such knowledge is necessary for a thorough comprehension of cellular processes and cell mechanics from basic polymer physics principles. We determined cortical assembly rates in living cells by using single-molecule fluorescence imaging in combination with stochastic simulations. We find that formin-nucleated filaments are, on average, 10 times longer than Arp2/3-nucleated filaments. Although formin-generated filaments represent less than 10% of all actin filaments, mechanical measurements indicate that they are important determinants of cortical elasticity. Tuning the activity of actin nucleators to alter filament length distribution may thus be a mechanism allowing cells to adjust their macroscopic mechanical properties to their physiological needs.
MIT Department
Massachusetts Institute of Technology. Department of Biological Engineering
Terms of Use
Creative Commons Attribution 4.0 International License
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DOI of Published Version
https://doi.org/10.1126/sciadv.1501337
