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Updated: Aug 23, 2026

Study of the Actin Cytoskeleton in Live Endothelial Cells Expressing GFP-Actin
Published on: November 18, 2011
Effects of lipopolysaccharide on actin reorganization and actin pools in endothelial cells
Qiao-bing Huang1, Li Song, Ke-sen Zhao
1Department of Pathophysiology, First Military Medical University, Guangzhou 510515, China. bing@fimmu.com
Objective:
To investigate the dose and time-dependent effects of lipopolysaccharide (LPS) on cytoskeletal F-acitn and G-actin reorganizations by visualizing their distribution and measuring their contents in human umbilical vein endothelial cell line ECV-304.
Methods:
F-actin was labeled with rhodamine-phalloidin and G-actin with deoxyribonuclease I (DNase I)conjugated with fluorescein isothiocyanate (FITC). Contents of cytoskeletal proteins were obtained by flow cytometry.
Results:
F-actin was mainly distributed peripherally in endothelial cells under normal conditions. LPS stimulation caused the formation of stress fibers and filopodia. G-actin was normally seen in perinuclear and nuclear areas in control ECV-304 cells. Under LPS stimulation, G-actin dots appeared in the cytoplasmic region. The actin disorganization was accompanied by the time- and dose- dependent decrease in F-actin pool and increase in G-actin pool.
Conclusions:
LPS can induce characteristic morphological alterations of actin cytoskeleton and formation of intercellular gap in endothelial cells, accompanied by changes in F-actin and G-actin pools.
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