Filament Polymerization
Filament Polymerization - Related Videos
06:45
Polymerization
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2023
Source: Vy M. Dong and Jan Riedel, Department of Chemistry, University of California, Irvine, CA Polymers are made from macromolecules, which are composed of repeating units (the so called monomeric units). In our modern world, polymers play an important role. One of the first important polymers was nylon, which is a polyamide. It found widespread application in tooth brushes and stockings.
08:58
Filamentous Fungi
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2023
Source: Laboratories of Dr. Ian Pepper and Dr. Charles Gerba - The University of Arizona Demonstrating Author: Bradley Schmitz Fungi are heterotrophic eukaryotic organisms, and with the exception of yeasts, are aerobic. They are abundant in surface soils and are important for their role in nutrient cycling and the decomposition of organic matter and organic contaminants. White rot fungi (phanerochaete chryosporium) for example, (Figure 1) are known to degrade aromatics. Figure 1. White rot on...
12:15
In Vitro Polymerization of F-actin on Early Endosomes
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Cited by 3 •
2017
Early endosome functions depend on F-actin polymerization. Here, we describe a microscopy-based in vitro assay that reconstitutes the nucleation and polymerization of F-actin on early endosomal membranes in test tubes, thus rendering this complex series of reactions amenable to biochemical and genetic manipulations.
07:28
Ethylene Polymerizations Using Parallel Pressure Reactors and a Kinetic Analysis of Chain Transfer Polymerization
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2015
A protocol for the high-throughput analysis of polymerization catalyst, chain transfer polymerizations, polyethylene characterization, and reaction kinetic analysis is presented.
10:01
Kinetics of Addition Polymerization to Polydimethylsiloxane
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2023
Source: Kerry M. Dooley and Michael G. Benton, Department of Chemical Engineering, Louisiana State University, Baton Rouge, LA Polymers are molecules consisting of many repeating monomer units that are chemically bonded into long chains. They exhibit a broad range of physical properties, which are affected by their chemical structure, molecular weight and degree of polymerization. The polymer industry manufactures thousands of raw materials used in a broad variety of commercial products.1,2 The...
FAQs
The critical concentration marks the approximate level of free protein above which subunit addition at filament ends becomes favorable. When soluble protein remains below this threshold, assembly is not sustained and disassembly can predominate. This relationship explains why changes in available subunit concentration can shift a system between filament growth and loss of assembled material.
Nucleotide binding and hydrolysis provide regulatory control over assembly and disassembly in filament systems such as actin and tubulin. Their influence allows the filament state to change as subunits cycle between biochemical conditions. Consequently, nucleotide-dependent regulation connects molecular chemistry with the dynamic remodeling required for cellular organization, transport, division, and force generation.
Nucleation creates a small, stable oligomer that can support further assembly, whereas subsequent growth occurs through subunit addition at established filament ends. Separating these stages helps explain why filament formation may not begin immediately even when soluble protein is present. It also distinguishes the initial formation of a seed from the later expansion or loss of the filament.
A useful analysis considers the concentration of free protein, formation of the initial oligomer, behavior at filament ends, and the nucleotide state of the subunits. These factors jointly influence whether assembly, elongation, or disassembly dominates. Tracking them provides a biochemical framework for interpreting changes in filament abundance and dynamic behavior without treating the structure as static.
Changes in assembly and disassembly alter the availability and organization of cytoskeletal filaments. In turn, these structures contribute to cellular organization, intracellular transport, cell division, and mechanical force generation. Studying polymerization therefore links molecular-scale subunit behavior to broader cellular outcomes and helps explain how regulated filament dynamics support changing cellular requirements.
Its study provides a way to examine how soluble proteins become organized into functional cellular assemblies and how those assemblies are remodeled. This research can clarify the molecular basis of cytoskeletal defects and inform strategies for modifying biomolecular assemblies. Actin- and tubulin-related systems are especially relevant because nucleotide regulation connects their chemistry with dynamic cellular behavior.