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Updated: May 31, 2026

Self-Assembly of Microtubule Tactoids
Published on: June 23, 2022
Cell cytoskeleton and tether extraction
B Pontes1, N B Viana, L T Salgado
1Laboratório de Pinças Óticas da Coordenação de Programas de Estudos Avançados, Instituto de Ciências Biomédicas, Rio de Janeiro, Brazil.
Abstract:
We perform a detailed investigation of the force × deformation curve in tether extraction from 3T3 cells by optical tweezers. Contrary to conventional wisdom about tethers extracted from cells, we find that actin filaments are present within them, so that a revised theory of tether pulling from cells is called for. We also measure steady and maximum tether force values significantly higher than previously published ones for 3T3 cells. Possible explanations for these differences are investigated. Further experimental support of the theory of force barriers for membrane tube extension is obtained. The potential of studies on tether pulling force × deformation for retrieving information on membrane-cytoskeleton interaction is emphasized.
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