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Related Concept Videos

Mechanisms of Membrane-bending01:15

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The living membranes are flexible due to their fluid mosaic nature; however, their bending into different shapes is an active process regulated by specific lipids and proteins. The membrane bending can be transient as seen in vesicles or stable for a long time as in microvilli. Cells regulate the size, location, and duration of the membrane curvature.
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Mechanisms of Membrane Domain Formation00:59

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Different physical properties of lipids and proteins allow them to localize and form distinct islands or domains in the membrane. Some membrane domains are formed due to protein-protein interactions, whereas others are formed due to the presence of specific lipids such as sphingolipids and sterols—for example, large proteins, such as bacteriorhodopsin, aggregate and create distinct domains.
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Cytoskeletal Coordination in Cell Migration01:32

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A migrating cell changes its shape during the cyclic events of attachment and detachment from the substratum and repositions the cell organelles correspondingly. These complex events are orchestrated by the dynamic cytoskeletal network comprising actin filaments, intermediate filaments, and microtubules. Cytoskeletal crosstalk — the direct and indirect communication between the different components — is crucial for this coordination. Direct communication involves various linker...
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Scientists identified the plasma membrane in the 1890s and its principal chemical components (lipids and proteins) by 1915. The model for plasma membrane structure, proposed in 1935 by Hugh Davson and James Danielli, was the first model to be widely accepted in the scientific community. The model was based on the plasma membrane's "railroad track" appearance in early electron micrographs. Davson and Danielli theorized that the plasma membrane's structure resembled a sandwich...
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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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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. 
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Updated: Jun 1, 2025

Reconstitution of Septin Assembly at Membranes to Study Biophysical Properties and Functions
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Dynamic mechanisms for membrane skeleton transitions.

Mayte Bonilla-Quintana1, Andrea Ghisleni2, Nils C Gauthier2

  • 1Department of Mechanical and Aerospace Engineering, University of California San Diego, La Jolla, CA 92093, USA.

Journal of Cell Science
|January 22, 2025
PubMed
Summary
This summary is machine-generated.

The cell

Keywords:
ActomyosinCell mechanicsCytoskeletonSpectrin

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Area of Science:

  • Cell biology
  • Biophysics
  • Materials science

Background:

  • Eukaryotic cells possess a protective barrier formed by the plasma membrane and underlying cytoskeleton.
  • The membrane skeleton, composed of spectrin and actin filaments, constantly rearranges under mechanical stress.

Purpose of the Study:

  • To investigate the response of the spectrin meshwork to mechanical loading using a generalized network model.
  • To explore the interplay between membrane mechanics, myosin contractility, and skeletal structure.

Main Methods:

  • Developed a generalized network model for the membrane skeleton.
  • Integrated myosin contractility and membrane mechanics into the model.
  • Simulated a fully connected network representing a whole cell.

Main Results:

  • Membrane bending forces are crucial for maintaining skeletal structure, indicating active membrane contribution to stability.
  • Spectrin and myosin turnover regulate transitions between stress and rest states.
  • Plasma membrane surface area constraints and cytoplasmic volume restriction enhance skeletal stability.
  • Cell attachment via adhesions promotes cell shape stabilization.

Conclusions:

  • The cell membrane actively contributes to the stability of the underlying cytoskeleton.
  • Dynamic processes like spectrin and myosin turnover are essential for cytoskeletal adaptation.
  • Cellular constraints and attachments play significant roles in maintaining cell shape and structural integrity.