Abstract
The actin cytoskeleton is constantly assembling and disassembling. Cells harness the energy of these turnover dynamics to drive cell motility and organize cytoplasm. Although much is known about how cells control actin polymerization, we do not understand how actin filaments depolymerize inside cells. I briefly describe how the combination of imaging actin filament dynamics in cells and using in vitro biochemistry progressively altered our views of actin depolymerization. I describe why I do not think that the prevailing model of actin filament turnover-cofilin-mediated actin filament severing-can account for actin filament disassembly detected in cells. Finally, I speculate that cells might be able to tune the mechanism of actin depolymerization to meet physiological demands and selectively control the stabilities of different actin arrays.
| Original language | English (US) |
|---|---|
| Pages (from-to) | 2299-2302 |
| Number of pages | 4 |
| Journal | Molecular biology of the cell |
| Volume | 24 |
| Issue number | 15 |
| DOIs | |
| State | Published - Aug 1 2013 |
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ASJC Scopus subject areas
- Molecular Biology
- Cell Biology
Cite this
Mechanisms of actin disassembly. / Brieher, William.
In: Molecular biology of the cell, Vol. 24, No. 15, 01.08.2013, p. 2299-2302.Research output: Contribution to journal › Review article
}
TY - JOUR
T1 - Mechanisms of actin disassembly
AU - Brieher, William
PY - 2013/8/1
Y1 - 2013/8/1
N2 - The actin cytoskeleton is constantly assembling and disassembling. Cells harness the energy of these turnover dynamics to drive cell motility and organize cytoplasm. Although much is known about how cells control actin polymerization, we do not understand how actin filaments depolymerize inside cells. I briefly describe how the combination of imaging actin filament dynamics in cells and using in vitro biochemistry progressively altered our views of actin depolymerization. I describe why I do not think that the prevailing model of actin filament turnover-cofilin-mediated actin filament severing-can account for actin filament disassembly detected in cells. Finally, I speculate that cells might be able to tune the mechanism of actin depolymerization to meet physiological demands and selectively control the stabilities of different actin arrays.
AB - The actin cytoskeleton is constantly assembling and disassembling. Cells harness the energy of these turnover dynamics to drive cell motility and organize cytoplasm. Although much is known about how cells control actin polymerization, we do not understand how actin filaments depolymerize inside cells. I briefly describe how the combination of imaging actin filament dynamics in cells and using in vitro biochemistry progressively altered our views of actin depolymerization. I describe why I do not think that the prevailing model of actin filament turnover-cofilin-mediated actin filament severing-can account for actin filament disassembly detected in cells. Finally, I speculate that cells might be able to tune the mechanism of actin depolymerization to meet physiological demands and selectively control the stabilities of different actin arrays.
UR - http://www.scopus.com/inward/record.url?scp=84881034194&partnerID=8YFLogxK
UR - http://www.scopus.com/inward/citedby.url?scp=84881034194&partnerID=8YFLogxK
U2 - 10.1091/mbc.E12-09-0694
DO - 10.1091/mbc.E12-09-0694
M3 - Review article
C2 - 23900650
AN - SCOPUS:84881034194
VL - 24
SP - 2299
EP - 2302
JO - Molecular Biology of the Cell
JF - Molecular Biology of the Cell
SN - 1059-1524
IS - 15
ER -