Related Experiment Video

Updated: Jun 10, 2026

Reconstituting and Characterizing Actin-Microtubule Composites with Tunable Motor-Driven Dynamics and Mechanics
09:10

Reconstituting and Characterizing Actin-Microtubule Composites with Tunable Motor-Driven Dynamics and Mechanics

Published on: August 25, 2022

Cytoskeletal cross-linking and bundling in motor-independent contraction

Sean X Sun1, Sam Walcott, Charles W Wolgemuth

  • 1Johns Hopkins University, Department of Mechanical Engineering, Institute for NanoBioTechnology, Baltimore, MD, USA.

Current Biology : CB
|August 10, 2010
PubMed

Keywords:
Cytoskeletal dynamicsCell division mechanismsNon-motor force generationProtein cross-linking

More Related Videos

Tuning the Contractility and Deformation Modes of Active Actin-Based Assemblies In Vitro: From Two-Dimensional Active Networks to Liquid Crystal Drops06:48

Tuning 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

The Mechanics of (Poro-)Elastic Contractile Actomyosin Networks As a Model System of the Cell Cytoskeleton08:50

The Mechanics of (Poro-)Elastic Contractile Actomyosin Networks As a Model System of the Cell Cytoskeleton

Published on: March 10, 2023

Related Concept Videos

The Role of Actin and Myosin in Non-muscle Cells01:10

The 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...
Actin and Myosin in Muscle Contraction01:16

Actin and Myosin in Muscle Contraction

Actin and myosin are contractile proteins that form the sarcomere found in skeletal muscle tissues for regulating muscle contraction. Actin, a globular contractile protein, interacts with myosin for muscle contraction. The skeletal tissue appears striped or striated under a microscope due to the repeated arrangement of contractile proteins actin and myosin along the length of myofibrils. Dark A bands and light I bands repeat along myofibrils, and the alignment of myofibrils in the cell causes...
Cytoskeletal Accessory Proteins01:13

Cytoskeletal Accessory Proteins

The cytoskeleton is an essential cell component that plays several structural and functional roles. However, the filaments that make up the cytoskeleton cannot function independently and depend on the accessory or ancillary proteins to effectively carry out their function. Accessory proteins associate with cytoskeletal filaments and their monomers, aiding filament formation and function. They also help in the cross-communication among cytoskeletal filaments. Cytoskeletal accessory proteins are...
Assembly of Cytoskeletal Filaments01:18

Assembly of Cytoskeletal Filaments

Cytoskeletal filaments are polymeric forms of smaller protein subunits. However, individual cytoskeletal filaments may easily disassemble or associate with other similar filaments to form rigid structures. Microfilaments, made of actin monomers, rely on actin-binding proteins to form bundles and create networks of individual actin filaments. Microtubules rely on microtubule-associated proteins (MAPs) to form sturdy cylindrical structures. However, the proteins involved in forming complex...
Cross-bridge Cycle01:26

Cross-bridge Cycle

As muscle contracts, the overlap between the thin and thick filaments increases, decreasing the length of the sarcomere—the contractile unit of the muscle—using energy in the form of ATP. At the molecular level, this is a cyclic, multistep process that involves binding and hydrolysis of ATP, and movement of actin by myosin.
Formation of Higher-order Actin Filaments01:11

Formation of Higher-order Actin Filaments

The polymerization of G-actin monomers into filamentous F-actin is a multi-step process. Once the F-actins are formed, they can bundle together in different arrangements to form higher-order networks and regulate cellular functions. Common examples include the formation of lamellipodia and filopodia at the cell's leading edge by actin reorganization in a migrating cell. The microvilli on the brush border epithelial cells are also formed through the F-actin network.
The high-order actin networks...