Biomimetic Systems shed Light on Actin-Based Motility Down to the Molecular Scale

Title data

Romet-Lemonne, Guillaume ; Helfer, Emmanuele ; Delatour, Vincent ; Bugyi, Beata ; Bosch, Montserrat ; Romero, Stephane ; Carlier, Marie-France ; Schmidt, Stephan ; Fery, Andreas:
Biomimetic Systems shed Light on Actin-Based Motility Down to the Molecular Scale.
In: Biophysical Reviews and Letters. Vol. 4 (2009) Issue 1/2 . - pp. 5-15.
ISSN 1793-7035
DOI: https://doi.org/10.1142/S1793048009000909

Official URL:

Abstract in another language

Cell motility, one of the modular activities of living cells, elicits the response of the cell to extra-cellular signals, to move directionally, feed, divide or transport materials. The combined actions of molecular motors and re-modeling of the cytoskeleton generate forces and movement. Here we describe mechanistic approaches of force and movement produced by site-directed assembly of actin filaments. The insight derived from a biochemical analysis of the protein machineries involved in "actin-based motile processes" like cell protrusions, invaginations, organelle propulsion, is used to build reconstituted assays that mimic cellular processes, using several protein machineries known to initiate filament assembly by different mechanisms. Reconstitution of complex self-organized systems presents a broad variety of interests. Reconstituting actin-based movement of a functionalized particle from a minimum number of pure proteins, first used to prove the general thermodynamic principles at work in motility, then was the basis for fully controlled physical measurements of forces produced by polymerization of actin against an obstacle and of the mechanical properties of the resulting polymer arrays. In addition, measurements at the mesoscopic scale (trajectories, velocity, polymer mechanics, fluorescence of specifically labeled components of the actin array, use of mutated proteins) can provide further insight into the molecular mechanisms underlying motility.

Further data

Item Type:	Article in a journal
Refereed:	Yes
Institutions of the University:	Faculties > Faculty of Biology, Chemistry and Earth Sciences Faculties > Faculty of Biology, Chemistry and Earth Sciences > Department of Chemistry Faculties > Faculty of Biology, Chemistry and Earth Sciences > Department of Chemistry > Former Professors > Chair Physical Chemistry II - Univ.-Prof. Dr. Andreas Fery Faculties Faculties > Faculty of Biology, Chemistry and Earth Sciences > Department of Chemistry > Chair Physical Chemistry II Faculties > Faculty of Biology, Chemistry and Earth Sciences > Department of Chemistry > Former Professors
Result of work at the UBT:	Yes
DDC Subjects:	500 Science > 500 Natural sciences 500 Science > 530 Physics 500 Science > 540 Chemistry
Date Deposited:	08 Dec 2014 09:22
Last Modified:	25 Apr 2022 13:25
URI:	https://eref.uni-bayreuth.de/id/eprint/4001