Reversible membrane pearling in live cells upon destruction of the actin cortex

• Verfasst von: Heinrich, Doris [VerfasserIn]
• Verfasst von: Engel, Ulrike [VerfasserIn]
• Titel: Reversible membrane pearling in live cells upon destruction of the actin cortex
• Verf.angabe: Doris Heinrich, Mary Ecke, Marion Jasnin, Ulrike Engel, and Günther Gerisch
• E-Jahr: 2014
• Jahr: 4 March 2014
• Umfang: 13 S.
• Fussnoten: Gesehen am 19.05.2017
• Titel Quelle: Enthalten in: Biophysical journal
• Ort Quelle: Cambridge, Mass. : Cell Press, 1960
• Jahr Quelle: 2014
• Band/Heft Quelle: 106(2014), 5, Seite 1079-1091
• ISSN Quelle: 1542-0086
• DOI: doi:10.1016/j.bpj.2013.12.054
• Datenträger: Online-Ressource
• Sprache: eng
• K10plus-PPN: 1558815120

Abstract

Membrane pearling in live cells is observed when the plasma membrane is depleted of its support, the cortical actin network. Upon efficient depolymerization of actin, pearls of variable size are formed, which are connected by nanotubes of ∼40 nm diameter. We show that formation of the membrane tubes and their transition into chains of pearls do not require external tension, and that they neither depend on microtubule-based molecular motors nor pressure generated by myosin-II. Pearling thus differs from blebbing. The pearling state is stable as long as actin is prevented from polymerizing. When polymerization is restored, the pearls are retracted into the cell, indicating continuity of the membrane. Our data suggest that the alternation of pearls and strings is an energetically favored state of the unsupported plasma membrane, and that one of the functions of the actin cortex is to prevent the membrane from spontaneously assuming this configuration.