Actin Cytoskeleton
Actin Cytoskeleton - Related Videos
08:37
Study of the Actin Cytoskeleton in Live Endothelial Cells Expressing GFP-Actin
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Cited by 33 •
2011
Microscopic imaging of live endothelial cells expressing GFP-actin allows characterization of dynamic changes in cytoskeletal structures. Unlike techniques that use fixed specimens, this method provides a detailed assessment of temporal changes in the actin cytoskeleton in the same cells before, during, and after various physical, pharmacological, or inflammatory stimuli.
07:53
Actin Co-Sedimentation Assay; for the Analysis of Protein Binding to F-Actin
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Cited by 18 •
2008
Proteins bind to filamentous actin (F-actin) through distinct actin binding modules. In this video we demonstrate the procedure of actin co-sedimentation, which is an in vitro assay routinely used to analyze proteins or specific domains that bind F-actin.
10:19
In Vitro Reconstitution of the Actin Cytoskeleton Inside Giant Unilamellar Vesicles
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Cited by 5 •
2022
In this manuscript, we demonstrate the experimental techniques to encapsulate the F-actin cytoskeleton into giant unilamellar lipid vesicles (also called liposomes), and the method to form a cortex-biomimicking F-actin layer at the inner leaflet of the liposome membrane.
10:13
Quantification of Filamentous Actin (F-actin) Puncta in Rat Cortical Neurons
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Cited by 8 •
2016
Filamentous actin (F-actin) plays an important role in spinogenesis, synaptic plasticity, and synaptic stability. Quantification of F-actin puncta is therefore a useful tool to study the integrity of synaptic structures. This protocol describes the procedures of quantifying F-actin puncta labeled with Phalloidin in low-density primary cortical neuronal cultures.
10:52
Live Imaging of Cell Motility and Actin Cytoskeleton of Individual Neurons and Neural Crest Cells in Zebrafish Embryos
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Cited by 18 •
2010
This protocol describes imaging of individual neurons or neural crest cells in living zebrafish embryos. This method is used to examine cellular behaviors and actin localization using fluorescence confocal time-lapse microscopy.
FAQs
ATP hydrolysis helps regulate the continual turnover of actin filaments after globular actin monomers polymerize. Because filaments are repeatedly assembled and disassembled, the network can change its organization rather than remain fixed. This dynamic behavior allows cells to adjust their shape, support movement, and coordinate structural changes with signaling at the plasma membrane.
Nucleation initiates new actin filament formation, while severing divides existing filaments and disassembly removes filament material. Together, these processes control where the network forms, how rapidly it is reorganized, and how its architecture changes over time. Their coordinated activity is important when cells migrate, alter their shape, internalize material, or complete division.
Actin-binding proteins regulate the organization and remodeling of actin filaments, whereas myosin motor proteins use the network to produce contractile structures. This distinction lets actin provide either mechanical support or force-generating activity, depending on how its associated proteins are arranged. Such specialization contributes to cell movement, adhesion, shape changes, and cytokinesis.
Actin filaments are polarized, meaning their two ends are structurally distinct. This organization gives the network directional properties that can influence how filaments assemble, disassemble, and interact with associated proteins. Polarity therefore helps cells build spatially organized structures rather than random filament collections, supporting coordinated movement, membrane-associated organization, and localized changes in cell shape.
Researchers examine how actin remodeling is coordinated with the plasma membrane and intracellular signaling during migration and adhesion. The key outcome is not simply filament presence, but how the network changes organization while the cell moves or maintains attachment. These observations help connect cytoskeletal behavior with the physical organization of cells and tissues.
Actin remodeling contributes to several distinct processes, including cell migration, adhesion, cytokinesis, endocytosis, and changes in cell shape. In each case, the network must reorganize in a way suited to the task, whether supporting movement, producing contraction, or changing the relationship between the cell surface and its interior. Studying these processes reveals how cellular structure and activity are coordinated.
Actin regulation links individual cell behavior to larger biological outcomes. During development and tissue organization, changes in actin-dependent movement, adhesion, and shape can influence how cells arrange themselves. In disease research, altered regulation provides context for invasion and muscle dysfunction. Consequently, actin studies connect molecular filament dynamics with tissue-level structure and pathological mechanisms.