Forces applied at the periphery of a cell causes actin remodeling around the nucleus, leading to the formation of a transient perinuclear actin rim. The formation of this actin structure is dependent on the force-induced release of Ca2+ ions in the cytoplasm, […]
NIH3T3 fibroblasts respond to TNFα-mediated signaling in a geometry-dependent manner, which is essential for maintaining their cellular homeostasis. In cells of different geometries (circular vs rectangular), TNFα induces differential translocation of transcription factors and the expression of different set of target genes.
This study was published in […]
As stiffness of the extracellular matrix increases, the mechanical properties of the actin cytoskeleton shifts from fluid to solid.
These findings were published in Nature Communications in 2015.
Gupta M, Sarangi BR, Deschamps J, Nematbakhsh Y, Callan-Jones A, Margadant F, Mège RM, Lim […]
This study addresses the role of formins at epithelial junctions. A major formin, mDia1, is shown to be recruited to Adherens Junctions (AJs) by E-Cadherin and RhoA. This leads to the organization of actomyosin filaments around the AJs which causes an increase in junctional contractility. […]
When actin filaments are depolymerized by latrunculin A, DAAM1 becomes free to move, and it associates with the newly formed actin nodes and stabilizes them. At these nodes, DAAM1 organizes short actin filaments, providing the foundation for the regrowth of actin filaments and stress fiber
These […]
Plastin, an actin cross-linking protein, has been shown to be instrumental for efficient cytokinesis and polarization in C. elegans zygotes. By increasing connectivity within the cortical actomyosin network, plastin provides strength to the network, to enable a coordinated cortical flow required to segregate proteins during zygote polarization. Similarly, […]
