Cytoskeleton
- Mechanical stability of the cell nucleus – roles played by the cytoskeleton in nuclear deformation and strain recovery
Summary: The viscoelastic parameters of the cell membrane, cytoskeleton and nucleus are decoupled, and the roles played by cytoskeleton in maintaining nuclear mechanical stability are deciphered.
- Septin-dependent remodeling of cortical microtubule drives cell reshaping during epithelial wound healing
Summary: Rapid wound closure of the vertebrate embryonic epidermis depends on interplay between the cytoskeletal components actin, microtubules and septin.
- The actin cytoskeleton of the mouse sperm flagellum is organized in a helical structure
Summary: The actin and actin-associated protein structures in the sperm tail are revealed by means of STORM. In particular, actin forms a double helix in the midpiece, a novel architectural organization in eukaryotic cells.
- Rapid production of pure recombinant actin isoforms in Pichia pastoris
Summary:Here, we describe a method to purify recombinant actin to homogeneity by expression in Pichia pastoris. The purified actin is polymerisation competent and should facilitate biochemical and cell biological studies of the actin cytoskeleton.
- The cytoskeleton regulates symmetry transitions in moving amoeboid cells
Summary: Dynamic shape changes of amoeboid cells are far from random, but are the consequence of refined symmetries and symmetry changes that are orchestrated by small G-proteins and the cytoskeleton.
- Phosphorylation hotspot in the C-terminal domain of occludin regulates the dynamics of epithelial junctional complexes
Summary: A conserved sequence in occludin determines the dynamic property of tight junctions and adherens junctions in the renal and intestinal epithelia, and regulates collective cell migration.
- Parallel assembly of actin and tropomyosin, but not myosin II, during de novo actin filament formation in live mice
Summary: De novo assembly of functional actin–tropomyosin filaments in live rodents is investigated. Unlike non-muscle myosin II, tropomyosin is added to the actin filament shortly after nucleation.
- Tension-dependent regulation of mammalian Hippo signaling through LIMD1
Highlighted Article: The mechanism through which YAP activity is regulated by tension at adherens junctions is demonstrated, which helps explain why cell proliferation is inhibited by high cell density and why Rho activity suppresses Hippo signaling.