Related Experiment Video
Updated: May 11, 2026

Investigating the Function of Coronin A in the Early Starvation Response of Dictyostelium discoideum by Aggregation Assays
Published on: June 18, 2016
Capping protein levels influence actin assembly and cell motility in dictyostelium
1Department of Cell Biology and Physiology, Washington University, St. Louis, Missouri 63110, USA.
Abstract:
Actin assembly is important for cell motility, but the mechanism of assembly and how it relates to motility in vivo is largely unknown. In vitro, actin assembly can be controlled by proteins, such as capping protein, that bind filament ends. To investigate the function of actin assembly in vivo, we altered the levels of capping protein in Dictyostelium cells and found changes in resting and chemoattractant-induced actin assembly that were consistent with the in vitro properties of capping protein in capping but not nucleation. Significantly, overexpressers moved faster and underexpressers moved slower than control cells. Mutants also exhibited changes in cytoskeleton architecture. These results provide insights into in vivo actin assembly and the role of the actin cytoskeleton in motility.
Related Concept Videos
Generation of Straight or Branched Actin Filaments
Arp2/3 Complex
Arp2/3 complex is a seven-subunit complex consisting of two proteins similar to actin- Arp2 and Arp3, and five other subunits that help keep Arp2 and Arp3 inactive. When required, the complex is...
Actin Filament Depolymerization
In F-actin, the ADF/cofilin proteins...
Formation of Higher-order Actin Filaments
The high-order actin networks...
Actin Polymerization and Cell Motility
Actin cytoskeleton dynamics can produce pushing, pulling, and resistance forces that help the cell to migrate.
Mechanism of Filopodia Formation
Their main function is to guide migrating cells during normal tissue morphogenesis or cancer metastasis by recognizing and making initial contacts with the extracellular matrix. However, they can also act as stationary cell anchors or help to establish communication...
Mechanism of Lamellipodia Formation

