Related Experiment Video
Updated: Jul 27, 2026

Using Microfluidics and Fluorescence Microscopy to Study the Assembly Dynamics of Single Actin Filaments and Bundles
Published on: May 5, 2022
Prestressed F-actin networks cross-linked by hinged filamins replicate mechanical properties of cells
M L Gardel1, F Nakamura, J H Hartwig
1Department of Physics and Division of Engineering and Applied Sciences, Harvard University, Cambridge, MA 02138, USA.
Abstract:
We show that actin filaments, shortened to physiological lengths by gelsolin and cross-linked with recombinant human filamins (FLNs), exhibit dynamic elastic properties similar to those reported for live cells. To achieve elasticity values of comparable magnitude to those of cells, the in vitro network must be subjected to external prestress, which directly controls network elasticity. A molecular requirement for the strain-related behavior at physiological conditions is a flexible hinge found in FLNa and some FLNb molecules. Basic physical properties of the in vitro filamin-F-actin network replicate the essential mechanical properties of living cells. This physical behavior could accommodate passive deformation and internal organelle trafficking at low strains yet resist externally or internally generated high shear forces.
More Related Videos
09:10Reconstituting and Characterizing Actin-Microtubule Composites with Tunable Motor-Driven Dynamics and Mechanics
Published on: August 25, 2022
06:48Tuning the Contractility and Deformation Modes of Active Actin-Based Assemblies In Vitro: From Two-Dimensional Active Networks to Liquid Crystal Drops
Published on: July 11, 2025
Related Concept Videos
Assembly of Cytoskeletal Filaments
Generation of Straight or Branched Actin Filaments
Arp2/3 Complex
Arp2/3 complex is a seven-subunit complex consisting of two proteins similar to actin- Arp2 and Arp3, and five other subunits that help keep Arp2 and Arp3 inactive. When required, the complex is...
Formation of Higher-order Actin Filaments
The high-order actin networks...
The Role of Actin and Myosin in Non-muscle Cells
Actin Polymerization and Cell Motility
Actin cytoskeleton dynamics can produce pushing, pulling, and resistance forces that help the cell to migrate.
Cell-matrix's Response to Mechanical Forces
Anchoring junctions mechanically attach a cell to the...