Related Experiment Video
Updated: Jul 5, 2026

Ex vivo Culture of Mouse Embryonic Skin and Live-imaging of Melanoblast Migration
Published on: May 19, 2014
Actin cytoskeleton and exocytosis in rat melanotrophs
H H Chowdhury1, M R Popoff, R Zorec
1Laboratory of Neuroendocrinology-Molecular Cell Physiology, Institute of Pathophysiology, Medical School, Ljubljana, Slovenia.
Abstract:
We monitored secretory activity of single rat melanotrophs by the patch-clamp membrane capacitance measurements (Cm). Secretory activity was stimulated by cytosol dialysis with a patch-pipette solution containing 1 microM [Ca2+]i. Actin cytoskeleton was disaggregated by pretreating cells with Clostridium spiroforme toxin, which specifically ADP-ribosylates cellular actin. The extent of cytoskeleton disaggregation was monitored by phalloidin immunostaining. The maximal rate of secretion increases two folds in toxin-treated cells in comparison to controls, whereas the extent of calcium-induced secretory response was similar to that obtained in the non-treated cells. The results show that the subcortical actin network attenuates the rate of secretory activity, which we interpret to reflect a barrier function of cytoskeleton for exocytosis.
Related Concept Videos
The Role of Actin and Myosin in Non-muscle Cells
Overview of Secretory Vesicles
Various proteins regulate the aggregation of molecules inside the secretory vesicles. Chromogranins...
The Contractile Ring
A small GTPase, RhoA, controls the function and assembly of the contractile ring. RhoA belongs to the Ras superfamily of proteins. The activation of formins by RhoA promotes...
Cell Motility through Blebbing
Blebbing Through the Matrix
In multicellular...
Cell Polarization by Rho Proteins
Cytoskeletal Coordination in Cell Migration

