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First published online September 22, 2005

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Barriers at the leading edge

At the leading edge of migrating cells, actin polymerization generates a force that pushes on the plasma membrane to propel the cell forward. But how the actin network and the plasma membrane interact is unclear. Kurt Anderson and co-workers now propose that the interaction is mediated by densely packed protein complexes that bind to the plus ends of actin filaments, having identified a diffusion barrier at the leading edge of migrating fish keratinocytes (see p. 4375). By focally labelling the outer membrane of the cells with lipid-soluble fluorescent dyes and following their diffusion, the authors show that the lateral mobility of lipids in the outer membrane leaflet is blocked at the leading edge during protrusion. Cytochalasin treatment, which blocks actin filament plus ends, abolishes this diffusion barrier. Other results indicate that lipid microdomains are not involved in setting up the barrier. The authors suggest, therefore, that the diffusion barrier involves protein complexes; these could include regulatory factors needed for actin polymerization.

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The leading edge is a lipid diffusion barrier

Ina Weisswange, Till Bretschneider, and Kurt I. Anderson
JCS 2005 118: 4375-4380. [Abstract] [Full Text]  

This Article Full Text (PDF) Alert me when this article is cited Alert me if a correction is posted Services Email this article to a friend Related articles in JCS Similar articles in this journal Alert me to new issues of the journal Download to citation manager Citing Articles Citing Articles via Google Scholar Google Scholar Search for Related Content Social Bookmarking                         What's this?