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Cell-sized liposomes that mimic cell motility and the cell cortex.

Joël Lemière1, Kevin Carvalho2, Cécile Sykes2

  • 1Institut Curie, Centre de Recherche, Paris, France; CNRS, UMR168, Paris, France; UPMC Univ Paris 06, UMR 168, Paris, France; Univ. Paris Diderot, Sorbonne Paris Cité, Paris, France; Current address: Department of Molecular Biophysics and Biochemistry, Nanobiology Institute, Yale University, New Haven, CT, USA.

Methods in Cell Biology
|May 23, 2015
PubMed
Summary

Researchers created cell-sized liposomes to mimic cell movement. These liposomes use actin polymerization to generate forces, enabling them to move and change shape, similar to biological cells.

Keywords:
ActinActin polymerizationActin-based forcesBiomimicsCell shapeLiposomeMembraneMembrane deformationReconstitution

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Area of Science:

  • Cell biology
  • Biophysics
  • Biochemistry

Background:

  • Cellular movement and shape changes are driven by dynamic cytoskeletal reorganization at the plasma membrane.
  • Actin assembly near the membrane generates forces that deform it, crucial for processes like lamellipodium extension.
  • The cell cortex, an actin shell beneath the membrane, influences cell tension via molecular motors.

Purpose of the Study:

  • To develop cell-sized liposomes that mimic cellular functions related to the cytoskeleton and membrane dynamics.
  • To investigate actin-based propulsion and cell cortex formation in a reconstituted system.
  • To study the influence of actin-related proteins on actin cortex assembly and force generation.

Main Methods:

  • Preparation of liposomes with internal geometries mimicking cells.
  • Reconstitution of actin polymerization and motor activity at the liposome membrane.
  • Utilizing an external geometry to drive liposome propulsion via actin assembly.

Main Results:

  • Demonstrated actin polymerization at the liposome membrane can drive forward propulsion, mimicking lamellipodium extension.
  • Successfully reproduced the cell cortex structure and its contribution to cell tension.
  • Established a model system to observe actin-based force generation and cell shape changes.

Conclusions:

  • Cell-sized liposomes serve as effective models for studying cytoskeletal dynamics and cell mechanics.
  • These reconstituted systems allow detailed investigation of how actin-related proteins control force generation and cell motility.
  • The findings provide insights into fundamental mechanisms of cell shape regulation and movement.