Related Experiment Video
Updated: Aug 14, 2026
11:19
Spatiotemporal Analysis of Cytokinetic Events in Fission Yeast
Published on: February 20, 2017
Continuum description of the cytoskeleton: ring formation in the cell cortex
Alexander Zumdieck1, Marco Cosentino Lagomarsino, Catalin Tanase
1Max-Planck-Institut für Physik komplexer Systeme, Dresden, Germany.
Physical Review Letters
|December 31, 2005
Summary
Active cytoskeletal filaments and motor proteins self-organize into dynamic ring structures. This study reveals how these patterns form and discusses their varied behaviors near a surface.
Area of Science:
- Cell biology
- Biophysics
- Soft matter physics
Background:
- Ringlike filament structures are observed in the cell cortex of various organisms.
- Understanding the self-organization principles governing these structures is crucial for cell mechanics.
Purpose of the Study:
- To investigate the dynamics of cytoskeletal filaments and motor proteins near a surface.
- To elucidate the mechanisms behind the formation of ringlike structures through active processes.
Main Methods:
- A general continuum theory was employed to model a two-dimensional layer of filaments and motor proteins.
- Analysis of dynamic pattern formation via instabilities.
Main Results:
- Emergence of dynamic patterns in filament orientation and density due to active processes.
- Demonstration of self-organization leading to stationary and oscillating rings.
- Presentation of state diagrams illustrating diverse asymptotic behaviors.
Conclusions:
- Active processes drive the self-organization of cytoskeletal components into ring structures.
- Boundary conditions play a significant role in the observed dynamic behaviors.
- The study provides insights into the formation of complex biological patterns.
Related Concept Videos
02:15The Contractile Ring
Contractile rings are composed of microfilaments and are responsible for separating the daughter cells during cytokinesis. Contractile ring assembly proceeds along with other cell cycle events; however, very few mechanistic details are known about the timing and coordination of the contractile rings with the cell cycle.
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...
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...
02:15The Contractile Ring
Contractile rings are composed of microfilaments and are responsible for separating the daughter cells during cytokinesis. Contractile ring assembly proceeds along with other cell cycle events; however, very few mechanistic details are known about the timing and coordination of the contractile rings with the cell cycle.
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...
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...
01:16Cell Motility through Blebbing
Blebs are a type of membrane protrusion formed by the internal hydrostatic pressure of the cytoplasm. Blebs are observed in several cell types, including fibroblasts, immune cells, and single-celled organisms like the amoeba. The primary function of blebs is cell locomotion and apoptosis, but they are also found during necrosis and cell division. The life cycle of a bleb comprises an initiation phase followed by the expansion and retraction phases.
Blebbing Through the Matrix
In multicellular...
Blebbing Through the Matrix
In multicellular...
01:32Cytoskeletal Coordination in Cell Migration
A migrating cell changes its shape during the cyclic events of attachment and detachment from the substratum and repositions the cell organelles correspondingly. These complex events are orchestrated by the dynamic cytoskeletal network comprising actin filaments, intermediate filaments, and microtubules. Cytoskeletal crosstalk — the direct and indirect communication between the different components — is crucial for this coordination. Direct communication involves various linker proteins that...
01:10The Role of Actin and Myosin in Non-muscle Cells
Actin and myosin or actomyosin filaments also play a significant role in cells other than those involved in muscle contraction (which occurs within the sarcomere of muscle cells). The mechanism of non-muscle cell contractile bundles was first observed in Dictyostelium and Acanthamoeba. In non-muscle cells, two bundles are commonly found: stress fibers and actomyosin adherence belts. These contractile bundles are smaller and less organized than the ones found in muscle cells. They are held...
01:33Introduction to the Cytoskeleton
Overview of the Cytoskeleton
The cytoskeleton is a network of protein filaments present within the cell, having three distinct filaments ̶ microfilaments, microtubules, and intermediate filaments. Each has characteristic features that distinguish them, including the dynamics of their assembly and disassembly, mechanical properties, polarity, and the type of molecular motors associated with them. Earlier, they were thought to be present only in eukaryotic cells; however, their homologs were...
The cytoskeleton is a network of protein filaments present within the cell, having three distinct filaments ̶ microfilaments, microtubules, and intermediate filaments. Each has characteristic features that distinguish them, including the dynamics of their assembly and disassembly, mechanical properties, polarity, and the type of molecular motors associated with them. Earlier, they were thought to be present only in eukaryotic cells; however, their homologs were...