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Related Concept Videos

The Contractile Ring02:15

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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...
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The cytoskeleton is a complex dynamic structure performing varied functions based on cellular requirements. The adaptability of the individual filaments in the cytoskeleton determines their ability to perform various functions within the cell. It can undergo rapid reorganization during processes like cell division or remain stable for several hours as in the interphase. The adaptability of these filaments depends on stringent regulatory mechanisms. The microfilament and microtubules of the...
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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...
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Bacterial cells were initially considered simple, randomly organized structures lacking a cytoskeleton. However, the discovery of cytoskeleton homologs in bacteria led to the change of this opinion. Bacterial cytoskeletal filaments regulate the cell shape, cell polarity, cell division, and partitioning of plasmids during cell division. It was later discovered that bacterial cytoskeletal proteins, mainly actin and tubulin homologs, are diverse compared to their eukaryotic counterparts. On the...
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Related Experiment Video

Updated: Feb 7, 2026

Mechanical Manipulation of Neurons to Control Axonal Development
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Cytoskeletal Mechanisms of Axonal Contractility.

Sampada P Mutalik1, Joby Joseph2, Pramod A Pullarkat3

  • 1Indian Institute of Science Education and Research Pune, Pune, Maharashtra, India.

Biophysical Journal
|July 29, 2018
PubMed
Summary

Neuronal axons actively contract via actomyosin, regulating tension for proper function. This study reveals intrinsic contractility and heterogeneous cytoskeletal remodeling within axons, crucial for mechanotransduction.

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Measurement of Tension Release During Laser Induced Axon Lesion to Evaluate Axonal Adhesion to the Substrate at Piconewton and Millisecond Resolution
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The Mechanics of Poro-Elastic Contractile Actomyosin Networks As a Model System of the Cell Cytoskeleton
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Measurement of Tension Release During Laser Induced Axon Lesion to Evaluate Axonal Adhesion to the Substrate at Piconewton and Millisecond Resolution
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Measurement of Tension Release During Laser Induced Axon Lesion to Evaluate Axonal Adhesion to the Substrate at Piconewton and Millisecond Resolution

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Area of Science:

  • Neuroscience
  • Cell Biology
  • Biophysics

Background:

  • Mechanotransduction is vital for signaling in elongated cells like neurons.
  • Neurite tension is critical for neuronal development and physiology, but its regulation is poorly understood.
  • Active neurite contraction is a potential mechanism for regulating mechanical tension.

Purpose of the Study:

  • To investigate the cytoskeletal mechanisms responsible for active contractility in neuronal axons.
  • To understand how neurite tension is regulated at the cellular level.

Main Methods:

  • Developed a novel assay to evaluate the contraction of curved axons upon trypsin-mediated detachment.
  • Utilized assays to measure spontaneous tension development in axons without induced deadhesion.
  • Examined the roles of actomyosin and microtubules in axonal contractility.

Main Results:

  • Curved axons actively contract and straighten upon deadhesion, driven primarily by actomyosin contractility.
  • Microtubules play a secondary role in axonal contraction.
  • Axons exhibit intrinsic contractility and heterogeneous cytoskeletal remodeling, despite behaving as a global mechanical continuum.

Conclusions:

  • The axonal cytoskeleton is implicated in maintaining tension homeostasis within neurons.
  • Actomyosin-based contractility is a key mechanism for regulating axonal tension.
  • Local, heterogeneous remodeling of the cytoskeleton underlies global axonal mechanical properties.