Cytoskeleton Pt 2 Flashcards
Functions of Actin
Provide strength and shape to plasma membrane
Cell surface projections (filopodia) used to explore territory and move around
Muscle contraction (association with myosin(motor protein))
Microvilli (intestinal epithelial cells): enhance nutrient absorption
Whole cell locomotion (movement)
Cell cortex is
the area under the plasma membrane that interacts with actin
Cytoskeletal changes in cell division
Crawling fibroblast-dynamic actin cytoskeleton
Leading edge: site of actin assembly at filopodia
Cell division-rearrangement of MT
Actin-contractile ring (also myosin filaments)
The Actin subunit is
asymmetric (Globular Actin or G-actin)
G-actin is
bound to ATP or ADP
F-actin is
Actin subunits assemble head to tail to form a tight right handed helix (8nm wide)
called Filamentous or F-actin
___ end favors elongation
plus
flexibility of actin subunit
more flexible than microtubule
Arrowhead appearance of the plus end is due to
interaction between actin and motor protein myosin.
The rate limiting step of actin formation is
Nucleation
The regulation of actin filament formation is how cells control
their shape and movement
Nucleation of actin
Small oligomers (3 monomers - trimer - stable enough to promote growth) of actin subunits can assemble spontaneously (but unstable)
Actin subunits can spontaneously bind one another, but the association is unstable until subunits assemble into an initial, oligomer, or nucleus, that is stabilized by multiple subunit–subunit contacts and can then elongate rapidly by addition of more subunits.
Critical Concentration
Cc=As the polymer grows, subunits are used up. Concentration (C) of subunits is observed to drop until it reaches a constant value (Cc).
At this concentration, rate of subunit addition =rate of subunit loss
for C > Cc, both ends grow; for C < Cc, both ends shrink.
The lag phase (nucleation) of actin formation can be eliminated with
preformed filament (crosslinked actin)
Actin can catalyze
ATP hydrolysis (Occurs slowly in free subunits, faster in filaments)
T and D forms of actin
T form (bound ATP)
D form (bound ADP)
Nucleotide hydrolyzed (energy stored in polymer), with free energy change for dissociation of _____ form polymer more negative than ____ form
D
T
(D form polymers will therefore shrink, T form polymers grow)
The critical concentration (Cc) marks the level at which G-actin monomers are
in equilibrium with the actin filaments.
Actin filaments are only formed at monomer concentrations above theCc
Actin filaments are only formed at monomer concentrations
above theCc
Actin filament at Equilibrium
Rate of subunit addition=Rate of subunit loss
Treadmilling occurs when
the rate of addition is faster than hydrolysis at plus end, but slower than hydrolysis at minus end.
Plus end will be in T form, Minus end in D form.
During treadmilling the plus end is in ___ form and the minus end is in ____ form
Plus end will be in T form,
Minus end in D form.
Plus and minus ends in actin are determined by
growing rate
the fast-growing end is called the plus end, whereas the slow-growing end is called the minus end