Jove
Visualize
Contact Us
JoVE
x logofacebook logolinkedin logoyoutube logo
ABOUT JoVE
OverviewLeadershipBlogJoVE Help Center
AUTHORS
Publishing ProcessEditorial BoardScope & PoliciesPeer ReviewFAQSubmit
LIBRARIANS
TestimonialsSubscriptionsAccessResourcesLibrary Advisory BoardFAQ
RESEARCH
JoVE JournalMethods CollectionsJoVE Encyclopedia of ExperimentsArchive
EDUCATION
JoVE CoreJoVE BusinessJoVE Science EducationJoVE Lab ManualFaculty Resource CenterFaculty Site
Terms & Conditions of Use
Privacy Policy
Policies

Related Experiment Videos

Three-dimensional reconstruction of an actin bundle.

E S Bullitt1, D J DeRosier, L M Coluccio

  • 1Graduate Program in Biophysics, Rosenstiel Basic Medical Sciences Research Center, Brandeis University, Waltham, Massachusetts 02254.

The Journal of Cell Biology
|August 1, 1988
PubMed
Summary

The three-dimensional structure of a Limulus sperm actin filament bundle was determined. This motile structure

Related Concept Videos

You might also read

Related Articles

Articles linked to this work by shared authors, journal, and citation graph.

Sort by
Same author

Climate change and the integrity of science.

Science (New York, N.Y.)·2010
Same author

Factors controlling the reassembly of the microvillous border of the small intestine of the salamander.

The Journal of cell biology·2009
Same author

Nanometre resolution tracking of myosin-1b motility.

IEE proceedings. Nanobiotechnology·2006
Same author

How the parasitic bacterium Legionella pneumophila modifies its phagosome and transforms it into rough ER: implications for conversion of plasma membrane to the ER membrane.

Journal of cell science·2002
Same author

Structures of bacterial flagellar motors from two FliF-FliG gene fusion mutants.

Journal of bacteriology·2001
Same author

DNA replication and daughter cell budding are not tightly linked in the protozoan parasite Toxoplasma gondii.

Microbes and infection·2001

Area of Science:

  • Structural biology
  • Biochemistry
  • Cell biology

Background:

  • Actin filament bundles are crucial for cellular motility.
  • The structural basis for the motile properties of Limulus sperm actin bundles remains unclear.
  • Understanding the roles of auxiliary proteins is key to elucidating bundle function.

Purpose of the Study:

  • To determine the three-dimensional structure of the Limulus sperm actin filament bundle.
  • To visualize the arrangement of actin and its associated auxiliary proteins (50 and 60 kD).
  • To provide insights into the molecular mechanisms underlying bundle motility.

Main Methods:

  • Isolation and partial fraying of actin filament bundles using potassium thiocyanate.
  • Examination of different filament classes using transmission electron microscopy (TEM) and scanning transmission electron microscopy (STEM).
  • Three-dimensional reconstructions from electron micrographs to visualize subunit structures.

Main Results:

  • The actin subunit exhibits a bilobed structure with distinct inner and outer lobes.
  • The 60-kD auxiliary protein is an oblate spheroid attached to the inner actin lobe.
  • The 50-kD auxiliary protein links the 60-kD protein to the outer actin lobe on the opposite strand.

Conclusions:

  • The 60-kD protein is likely involved in bundling actin filaments.
  • The 50-kD protein may be responsible for regulating filament twist and bundle extension.
  • The detailed structure provides a foundation for understanding the dynamic behavior of these motile actin bundles.

Related Experiment Videos