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Related Concept Videos

Actin Polymerization and Cell Motility01:13

Actin Polymerization and Cell Motility

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Actin is a family of globular proteins that are highly abundant in eukaryotic cells. It makes up approximately 1-5% of total cell protein concentration. Actin monomers polymerize to form a complex network of polarized filaments, the actin cytoskeleton, that plays a crucial role in many cellular processes, including cell motility, division, endocytosis, and metastasis of cancer cells.
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Mechanism of Lamellipodia Formation01:31

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Cells migrating in response to external stimuli form lamellipodia, which are thin membrane protrusions supported by a mesh of linked, branched, or unbranched actin filaments. These actin filaments interact with myosin motor proteins, creating the dynamic actomyosin complex within the cytoskeleton. Contractility, or the ability to generate contractile stress, is inherent to the actomyosin complex. It helps cells detect the stiffness of the surrounding ECM and exert contractile force for...
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Cell-matrix's Response to Mechanical Forces01:13

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In animal cells, the extracellular matrix allows cells within tissues to withstand external stresses and transmits signals from the outside of the cell to the inside. The extracellular matrix is extensive, and its composition varies between different types of tissues. For example, the reticular fibers and ground substance make up the ECM in loose connective tissue, while collagen and bone minerals make up the ECM of bone tissue. 
Anchoring junctions mechanically attach a cell to the...
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Role of Myosin in Cell Migration01:18

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Myosins are multimeric motor proteins involved in various cellular processes such as migration, adhesion, and proliferation. Myosin II is the most common type in animal cells, which binds and cross-links actin filaments.
Myosin II  is a hexamer comprising two heavy chains with globular heads and coiled-coil tails, two regulatory light chains, and two essential light chains. The ATPase sites on the myosin heads hydrolyze ATP, and the released phosphate generates the force for contraction....
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Formation of Higher-order Actin Filaments01:11

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

The Role of Actin and Myosin in Non-muscle Cells

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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...
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Control of Cell Adhesion using Hydrogel Patterning Techniques for Applications in Traction Force Microscopy
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Actin-based force generation and cell adhesion in tissue morphogenesis.

D Nathaniel Clarke1, Adam C Martin1

  • 1Department of Biology, Massachusetts Institute of Technology, Cambridge, MA 02142, USA.

Current Biology : CB
|May 25, 2021
PubMed
Summary
This summary is machine-generated.

Cellular forces from the actin cytoskeleton drive animal morphogenesis, shaping organisms. Understanding how these forces and cell adhesions coordinate is key to developmental biology research.

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Area of Science:

  • Developmental Biology
  • Cell Biology
  • Biophysics

Background:

  • Organismal form arises from cellular-level forces.
  • The actin cytoskeleton is a primary source of force in animal cells.
  • Cell adhesions link cells and propagate forces through tissues.

Purpose of the Study:

  • To review actin-based force generation mechanisms in animal morphogenesis.
  • To explore how cytoskeletal forces couple through cell adhesions.
  • To discuss patterned force and adhesion in directing tissue shape changes.

Main Methods:

  • Literature review of actin-based force generation.
  • Analysis of cytoskeletal force propagation via cell adhesions.
  • Examination of patterned forces in tissue morphogenesis.

Main Results:

  • Actin-based forces are central to sculpting animal organs and organisms.
  • Cytoskeletal forces transmit across tissues through cell adhesion mechanisms.
  • Patterned cytoskeletal forces and adhesion guide developmental shape changes.

Conclusions:

  • A conceptual framework for understanding animal morphogenesis is presented.
  • Future research directions in cytoskeletal dynamics and morphogenesis are highlighted.
  • The interplay between cellular forces and tissue architecture is crucial for development.