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Toward the Structure of Dynamic Membrane-Anchored Actin Networks:
An Approach Using Cryo-Electron Tomography
Guenther Gerisch and Igor Weber
volume 1 | issue 3
July/August/September 2007Pages: 145 - 149
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In the cortex of a motile cell, membrane-anchored actin filaments assemble into structures of varying shape and function. Filopodia are distinguished by a core of bundled actin filaments within finger-like extensions of the membrane. In a recent paper by Medalia et al.[1] cryo-electron tomography has been used to reconstruct, from filopodia of Dictyostelium cells, the 3-dimensional organization of actin filaments in connection with the plasma membrane. A special arrangement of short filaments converging toward the filopod's tip has been called a "terminal cone". In this region force is applied for protrusion of the membrane. Here we discuss actin organization in the filopodia of Dictyostelium in the light of current views on forces that are generated by polymerizing actin filaments, and on the resistance of membranes against deformation that counteracts these forces.
Authors
Guenther Gerisch
Max-Planck-Institut für Biochemie; Munich, Germany
Igor Weber
Rudjer Boskovic Institute; Zagreb, Croatia
We now provide open access to journal articles published online for one year or more. This article may be downloaded at the following link:
Download PDF If the document does not open, please right-click on the link (control-click on a Macintosh) and select the option to save the file to disk.