Stress generation and filament turnover during actin ring constriction.
basic_science · Level V
Where this comes from
- Record sourced from PubMed, PMID 17684545.
- Also identified by PMC identifier 1936222.
- Licence recorded as CC BY.
- The licence permits redistribution, so the abstract is shown in full and the full text is available from the publisher.
Abstract
We present a physical analysis of the dynamics and mechanics of contractile actin rings. In particular, we analyze the dynamics of ring contraction during cytokinesis in the Caenorhabditis elegans embryo. We present a general analysis of force balances and material exchange and estimate the relevant parameter values. We show that on a microscopic level contractile stresses can result from both the action of motor proteins, which cross-link filaments, and from the polymerization and depolymerization of filaments in the presence of end-tracking cross-linkers.
Medical subject headings
- Actin Cytoskeleton
- Caenorhabditis elegans
- Cytokinesis
- Cytoskeleton
- Embryo, Nonmammalian
- Stress, Mechanical